Las Posadas: Meaning, Traditions and How to Celebrate

Las Posadas, Spanish for “the inns” or “the lodgings,” is a Christmas tradition in which a community re-enacts Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem on each of the nine nights from December 16 to December 24. Pilgrims go from house to house singing a request for shelter, are turned away until the last house welcomes them in, and the night ends with prayer, food and celebration. Below is the meaning of Las Posadas, how the celebration works, its history, prayers for each night, and how to host a posada in your parish or home.

What are Las Posadas?

The nine nights recall the nine months that Mary carried Jesus, and the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where “there was no room for them in the inn”:

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David,
To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Las Posadas are especially loved in Mexico, Guatemala and among Mexican-American and Latino communities in the United States. They work as a kind of Christmas novena, preparing hearts to welcome the Christ Child.

How a posada works

The procession. At dusk, people gather with candles. Children often dress as Mary, Joseph, angels and shepherds; sometimes “Mary” rides a donkey, or figures of Mary and Joseph are carried.
Asking for lodging. The group stops at the door of a house. Those outside, the peregrinos (pilgrims), sing the traditional song asking for shelter in the name of heaven; those inside, playing the innkeepers, sing back that there is no room.
Turned away. This is repeated at two or three houses.
Welcome. At the last house the innkeepers recognize Joseph and Mary and joyfully open the door, singing “Entren, santos peregrinos” (“Come in, holy pilgrims”).
Prayer. Inside, everyone prays, often a Rosary or a decade with a reading from Scripture and a prayer for the night.
Celebration. The night ends with a piñata for the children, ponche (warm fruit punch), tamales, buñuelos and carols.

The traditional seven-pointed piñata is often explained as a symbol of the seven deadly sins, broken by faith (the blindfold) and virtue (the stick), releasing God’s gifts. See the seven deadly sins.

History

Las Posadas began in sixteenth-century Mexico, where Augustinian friars, among them those of the convent of Acolman near Mexico City, held special Masses and celebrations in the days before Christmas to teach the Gospel to the Indigenous peoples. The custom moved from the churches to neighborhoods and homes, becoming a celebration of the whole community. It also echoes earlier Spanish devotions and the Advent customs of the Church.

Prayers for Las Posadas

Many communities pray the Rosary each night, with a short reading about the journey to Bethlehem. This prayer for each night was written for this page:

Lord Jesus, Mary and Joseph knocked on many doors and found no room.
We open the door of our home and of our hearts to you tonight.
Help us to welcome the stranger, the poor and the migrant
as we would welcome you.
Holy Mary and St. Joseph, walk with us to Christmas. Amen.

In Spanish (our translation):

Señor Jesús, María y José tocaron muchas puertas y no hallaron lugar.
Esta noche te abrimos la puerta de nuestra casa y de nuestro corazón.
Ayúdanos a recibir al forastero, al pobre y al migrante
como te recibiríamos a ti.
Santa María y San José, caminen con nosotros hasta la Navidad. Amén.

See also our Catholic prayers in Spanish.

How to host a posada

Choose the houses: three or four neighboring homes, or stations inside a parish hall or school.
Print the song for both groups, or ask a parish choir to lead it.
Prepare the prayer: a decade of the Rosary, the reading of Luke 2:1–7, and intentions.
Share the food: each family brings something, and the host offers ponche and a piñata.
Include everyone: neighbors, elderly people and newcomers to the parish.

Frequently asked questions

What are the dates of Las Posadas?

December 16 to 24, nine nights before Christmas. The last posada, on Christmas Eve, often ends with Midnight Mass, the Misa de Gallo.

What does “posada” mean?

“Inn” or “lodging.” Pedir posada means to ask for a place to stay.

Are Las Posadas a novena?

They are a nine-night devotion before Christmas, so they are often called a novena, though they are a popular custom rather than a liturgical rite.

More for Advent and Christmas

Texts and sources

Scripture: Luke 2:4–7, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer and its Spanish version were written for this page.