I’ll be straight with you… I’ve lived in Mexico for 6 years and I still don’t know much about what a traditional Mexican posada entails. I know they’re parties held in December, kind of like our Christmas parties in the US, but with more traditional elements like star-shaped piñatas and bowls of ponche to drink. People also go from house-to-house singing a traditional song to pedir posada (or “lodging”, a la Mary and Joseph looking for an inn) until they reach the home of their party host, who lets them in.
And yet, I have seen none of this in Cancun. No ponche, no donkeys, no songs and no star-shaped piñatas for this gringa.
I have, however been to several Cancun posadas in my time. Young people in Cancun just do things a bit differently than the rest of Mexico. Why? Because who needs tradition? Bring on the dancing and the crazy house parties!
Here are some pictures from my first ever Cancun posada at a house party with my univeristy friends, circa December 2008… whoa.
That's my logistics professor in the background!!
Gotta love living in a city where you can wear spaghetti straps outdoors in December.
In 2010, I was a bit more tame and I only went to my office’s posada. It’s nice to see everyone dressed up and out of uniform.
2011 promises to be the best year yet for posadas and me! I’ve been to two already, including yet another work posada. For our first posada of 2011, Jorge and I went to Muellecito bar with a group of his friends from elementary school, then the group headed out to Alebrije nightclub, which I hadn’t been to yet.
Jorge with his friends from elementary school
Screen in back translates "Welcome to Mexico Jesus!!" I like to think they're referring to Jesus Christ and the posadas tradition, but since we're in Mexico it's probably just some guy named Jesus.
Tomorrow night we’re hosting a posada party at our house. Just as with all my other Cancun posadas, it’s looking to be very untraditional with no singing, no donkeys, no piñatas… because apparently our friends want to grill burgers.
BURGERS.
Whatever, that’s how we roll in Cancun.
This post is part of a Blog Hop on posadas! Want to read more about Mexican posadas from some of my friends, or add your own posada post to our Blog Hop? Check it out below…
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Gringation's Blog 
I haven’t been to any Christmas parties, but that’s nothing new. Enjoy!
Thanks! You should host your own party 🙂
Thanks for sharing what you do know. I will be attending my frist posada this weekend. I had no clue what this meant or what I should wear or anything. Wish me luck!
Unless it’s a formal event, you can probably wear whatever you like! If it’s at someone’s house, I’d go casual but cute.
Burgers for Xmas? Works for me 🙂 And I totally did that parading from house to house thing with a school group when I was a kid. I was actually telling Dan about it the other day and how it was a Mexican tradition and he thought I was a lunatic and was completely making it up. It’s good to hear that it’s real and I wasn’t just hallucinating a memory!
That’s hilarious! I wonder what the homeowners thought…
Burgers at a Posada in Mexico??? You better serve them with guacamole! lol
We probably will 😛
“I like to think they’re referring to Jesus Christ and the posadas tradition, but since we’re in Mexico it’s probably just some guy named Jesus.”
this made my day!!
I think you are right, probably one of the many guys named Jesus.
What’s in the punch?!
Recipe here: http://theothersideofthetortilla.com/2010/01/ponche-navideno/#axzz1gzb29chN
it’s fun to see you over the years of this! I’m commenting after you’ve had your party, so I hope it was GREAT – can’t wait to read about it 🙂
Just read this and realized we posted pretty similar things. Guess we’re living pretty similar experiences in Cancun. 😀
(Did you sing the Pidiendo Posada song at your party? We did it on the weekend, owwwwwww, nobody is a good enough singer to pull that off, dogs were howling, tough song!) 😀
HAHAHA I noticed that as well. I felt bad reading the other blog hop posts with all the traditional elements, then I got to yours and realized I was not alone 🙂
We didn’t sing the song (tried it once last year and it was just awkward and difficult) but we did have a traditional piñata this year! Woo hoo!
Did all the Jesus’ get in free that night?
Awwww, that’s funny. No matter what the tradition ‘should’ be, I hope you enjoyed how your friends decided to celebrate it instead. 😉