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SISTER CITIES
Posada - A Mexican Christmas tradition
By The Editor - January 2006 - Leer en Espaņol
 The visit of Wendy and Bill was already planned for this December and with the purpose of sharing with them a bit more of our traditions and costumes we decided to organize a Christmas posada where they would be the guests of honor. The news spread like fire and what started as a celebration where thirty people would attend turned into a fantastic Christmas reunion with the presence of approximately sixty people! Of course Carol and Rick also came and we were very happy to see them as well as all the others who finally decided to visit us to celebrate the posada.
The posada is a family celebration in honor of the birth of the Child Jesus, a very deep rooted Catholic tradition where the main act is the performance of that which Joseph and Mary had to go through while asking for a place to stay in order to await the birth of the Child in a warm and safe place. The performance consists of one group of those present staging the scene of Joseph and Mary and a group of pilgrims asking through canticles for the door to be opened and to be allowed to enter in order to take shelter while another group of the guests placed behind the door first responds negatively through canticles as well to their petition in order afterwards to finally open the door and to offer them posada, a place to stay.
Once this beautiful ritual is performed the evening continues with the breaking of the piñatas (a paper machet figure stuffed with goodies) where the leading characters are the children. However on this occasion of course some members of the Highland Park committee also participated in the game.
 The posada was a beautiful frame confirming that the sisterhood between our committees and cities is maturing in such a way that we already identify ourselves as family. Amongst songs, talks and laughter we sampled very delicious tamales, atole, tostadas, fruit, sweets, punch, buñuelos (a kind of fritter) and lots more that we had to eat. Faces full of happiness could be observed in every corner and the event was captured in our minds and our hearts.
We celebrated the posada in the home of the painter Jorge Avila who is a member of the committee and who very kindly offered to celebrate the reunion there. Without the help of his wife Luz María and children this celebration would not have been so brilliant. Many thanks to them for their kindness and hospitality.
At the end all our brothers from Highland Park manifested their joy of having participated in one of our most important celebrations. And for us as always it has been a true honor and privilege to receive them and to share something of ourselves with them.
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Happy New Year 2006!
The Editor
E-mial: editor@pvmirror.com |
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