Piñatas, Posadas and Ponche are just some of my favorite things during Christmas in México. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, it gives me cozy memories from my childhood. I adored my abuelita and she enjoyed the season more than anyone I've known. So I've come to love it nearly as much as she did.
Posadas are fiestas, parties that prepare us for welcoming baby Jesus on December 25th. The posadas I enjoyed when I was a child usually went like this:
- We got together and prayed the rosary
- We fired up our candles, separated into groups – one group joined the peregrinos, Mary, Joseph and the donkey, the other group stayed in the house.
- We walked with the peregrinos, or waited inside the house, while singing the traditional Posada song.
- Then, we gathered together, usually close to a fire pit, and ate dinner.
- Somebody passed out aguinaldos, bags with fruit and candy. My favorites? Peanuts and mandarins.
- We drank delicious Ponche, a hot beverage made with fruit.
- We hit and broke the piñata.
- We spent time singing or talking with family and friends.
Sound fun? Well, it is!! And the best part is we did it for 9 nights in a row!! Posadas start on December 16th and end on the night of December 24th.
A few years ago I took my kids to visit my family during this season and they just couldn´t believe they got to hit a piñata every day!
The original piñata comes from the Posadas and is a shiny star with 7 cones. The cones are filled up with fruit, candy, and toys, and, as you know, we usually hit it blindfolded with a stick. All these elements have a meaning:
- The seven cones represent the 7 sins
- Being blindfolded represents faith
- The stick represents virtue
- The inside treats are the glory of God that falls upon you
Interesting, eh?
And that´s not all, when we hit the piñata, we sang a song, and here is a video I made of this! Here are the lyrics:
Dale, dale, dale, (Hit, Hit, Hit it)
no pierdas el tino (Don't lose your aim)
porque si lo pierdes (because if you lose it)
pierdes el camino. (you lose your way)
Y si no le das, (And if you don't hit it)
ni un palo te empino (and a stick doesn't tip you)
porque tienes cara (it's because you have)
de puro pepino. (a cucumber face) 🙂
Second version
Dale, dale, dale, (Hit, Hit, Hit it)
no pierdas el tino (Don't lose you aim)
porque si lo pierdes (because if you lose it)
pierdes el camino. (you lose your way)
Ya le diste una, (You hit it once)
ya le diste dos, (you hit it twice)
ya le diste tres, (you hit it three times)
y tu tiempo se acabo, (and your time is over)
¡se acabo! (it´s over!)
Would you like to share a Christmas tradition with us all? Leave a comment!!
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Disclosure: I´m being compensated for my work in creating content for the México Today Program. All stories, opinions, and passion for all things México shared here are completely my own.
Mexico Today is an initiative of Marca País – Imagen de México, a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and as an unrivaled tourist destination. The program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day.
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