Las Posadas (a Hispanic Christmas Service)

Hispanic Christians often celebrate Christmas with this Las Posadas service. This service dramatizes Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay. It is normally celebrated during the Advent season. In its focus on the events immediately preceding Jesus' birth, it can be most appropriately used near or on the celebration of Christmas. In the Hispanic experience Las Posadas follows a historical tradition of fiesta, a feast. In the religious sense, fiesta is the conjunction of sacred time and space to portray a sacred event. Fiesta then becomes a ritual-a ritual of celebration which through collective expression justifies and sanctions a special order. Accordingly, in the Hispanic expression, fiesta has a certain carnival character. This carnival character is one of rejoicing, a popular participation by putting aside all pretensions and being a part of a regenerative moment. Further, fiesta is a religious drama where human participation rehearses the revelation of God, the strength and…