One of the popular Christian traditions for Christmas, the novena of the “posada” is celebrated in Latin America, as a journey toward the encounter with Jesus
Among the popular religious festivals in preparation for Christmas, in some Latin American countries, there is a tradition of the novena of the “posada”: nine festive and prayerful gatherings during which the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus are relived.
The “posada” is composed of four parts: the recitation of the rosary; a procession with a song of the holy pilgrims, who knock on doors asking for shelter but meet only with rejection until they finally in a house that offers them hospitality; breaking, blindfolded (to signify the end of sin and trust in God’s will), the piñata; the “pastoral”, a theatrical representation of the birth of the Baby Jesus, with the arrival of the shepherds who come to worship him, after being tempted by devils on the way (this represents temptations against which we must defend ourselves with the strength of faith in order to finally see Jesus).
In the process of secularization, in some places, the popular celebrations—including the “posada”— have disappeared or been separated from the overall narrative structure.
Attached here, the “pastoral” in the light of the Gospel, written by Maria Elena Hernandez.