La Posada

You've probably gathered by now that I'm really really excited when it comes to learning about Guatemalan culture. A few days ago my host family mentioned to me that there was a big holiday coming up called La Posada. Basically what happens is a group of people from the church have a small parade through the town at night. The kids carry candles and lanterns, play turtle shell drums and sing while some adults carry statues of Mary and Joseph through the streets. Eventually the group goes to a house, knocks on the door and asks to come in to stay the night. The family in the house allow the people to come in, gives them food and drinks and then prays with them. Afterwards the statues are left in the families home overnight and the people leave. The next night the people return and take the statues through town again, this time stopping at someone else's home. The family whose house they were at the night before join them, thus making the crowd larger. This goes on for ten nights (Dec 14-24th) and symbolizes the journey that Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus. This is a big event here and by the last night can have up to 200 people! The family told me that they were going to be hosting the group one night and I have been OBSESSED with it ever since. Every meal time for the last week I've been talking to them about preparations. When will the people arrive? How much food do they need to prepare? How many people are the expecting? Due to my enthusiasm (ie annoyance), the family invited me to come watch tonight. During lunch today Ignacio (the dad) showed me the alter he HANDMADE for the statues. He was really proud, he told me he had made his own paint and everything. Its awesome! Then again I love any kind of little model, so I'm easy to please. He even had a live turtle crawling around the scene (though the scale was pretty funny considering the turtle was knocking over the cows and crawling over them. I couldn't help but be amused.)

While I was trying to take that pic, I accidentally had it in video mode. Here's me speaking one stunningly impressive sentence in Spanish.



Soon we started hearing singing and drumming, and Lucia shoo'd me out of the house and told me to go watch them coming. It was really cool, lots of people with candles and the cart with the statues. Lucia's daughters quickly told me to join the parade. I didn't need to be told twice! I ran right out there and started marching through the streets with them.

The procession passed the house and we walked around the neighborhood singing (I wasn't singing, I was just following around Lucia's grandkids like a big creeper). Afterwards we swung back around to the house and half the people went inside and shut the door. They then proceeded to sing a song back and forth to one another through the door. I didnt understand all of it but the gist was pretty obvious: can we come in, please? After a few verses of that they apparently said yes because the door opened up and we shuffled in. They put the statues on the altar and then two ladies led everyone in a prayer and song. I obviously couldn't just whip out my camera, but I thought the song was beautiful so I sneakily taped some of it. One day I'll understand what they're saying.



After the prayer Lucia and her family handed out the food. She had made this dish that's similar to tamales. She took a bit of mashed potatoes, added spices and a piece of chicken, then wrapped it up in a banana leaf and boiled it. It was seriously the best food I'd had there. It was called something like punche, I know its not that exactly because I couldnt find it online. It was really good.

We also had a homemade punch with chunks of fruit in it. It was served hot, really good stuff.

After everyone ate (there were about 50 people all together), they left and I chatted with Ignacio for a bit before heading home myself. It was a really great experience and I'm excited to go back to their house Monday and obsess about it a little more ;)