By Fernanda Noriega
Nine posadas, nine 9 principles to apply
December or every year marks the beginning of the daily posadas—staged representations of the journey of Joseph and Mary looking for shelter. These events are filled with tradition, the Christmas spirit, and Mexican dishes, and they take place every day from December 16 through Christmas Eve.
There is a total of nine posadas, because the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph took nine days, during which they searched for a dwelling to rest, as she was about to give birth to Jesus. This tradition started during the Spanish Colonial period with communal prayers, sharing snacks, and giving away gifts of seasonal fruits.
Each posada represents a different value to cherish and each is associated with the birth of Jesus: humility, fortitude, detachment, charity, trust, justice, purity, joy, and generosity.
Currently, in Mexico, they continue to be performed in a similar way as in the past from December 16 through December 24. This is one of the oldest and most established December traditions, and community bonding is one of the most important factors. Traditions are often filled with symbolic numbers, and the posadas are no exception, with the number nine being significant. There is another—the piñata—that originally consisted of 7 points, and many more numbers are hidden elsewhere.
