Most of us have traditions that are almost in our DNA but we can’t remember their origins — luminarias and La Posadas could fall into that category.
Luminarias, what are they?
If you’ve lived in New Mexico for any length of time, you’ve seen the beautiful scenes of candlelit paper sacks atop walls and walkways of homes and businesses during the Christmas season. Luminarias in our village of San Rafael that I remember since I was a child, are little bonfires that line the street leading to the parish church.
The explanation given to me was that we had to light the way so that Joseph and Mary could find their way to the place where Jesus would be born.
Another version of the luminaria and most common today, are brown paper bags filled with dirt and a candle. The bags are given to children to fill and then place a small candle in each one...
What is La Posadas?
Posadas, Spanish for "lodging" or "accommodation," is a novena (nine-day prayer) where there is a reenactment of Joseph and Mary seeking shelter in Bethlehem. It is said in plural because it is celebrated more than one day during that period.
The novena represents the pregnancy of Mary carrying Jesus.
Nowadays, in San Rafael and many other small villages in the Southwest, luminarias are lit outside the home hosting that particular evening’s Posadas.
Traditionally, it begins Dec. 16 and ends on Christmas Eve. This evening in San Rafael, residents will be on their fifth night of the Posadas, which began on Monday.
San Rafael chooses to use homes for days one through eight. However, on day nine, the small Village in Cibola County, chooses to use the Parish Church on Christmas Eve...
I can’t write about traditions without the mention of the food, especially prepared for the Christmas holiday. Many people will agree there are many words, particularly food terms, which trigger great memories at Grandma’s house.
There would be a matanza, the slaughter of a pig, weeks before Christmas; people were poor but they raised pigs and chickens for their own use.
At the matanza, chicharrones (fresh pork rinds) were cooked in a huge kettle over an open fire. Fresh chicharrones topped with red chile on a flour tortilla were “to die for” as they say. The rest of the pork was prepared for chile meat that would go into dozens and dozens of tamales, enchiladas, and posole.
While the men worked outside around the fire, the women were busy inside making the chile and rolling out tortillas.
A week or so before Christmas Eve, the baking of pastelitos, bizcochitos, and sweet homemade bread began.
I can almost smell the delectable aroma coming from the kitchen...
Christmas Eve is and has been a great family gathering. Aunts and uncles along with their children came to Grandma’s house to share in the festivities. Eating went hand in hand with passing out presents to the children.
At 11:30 p.m. we all went to church to celebrate Midnight Mass, La Misa del Gallo, which means “the Mass before the rooster crows.”
After Mass, we walked home to hear some of the men singing Las Mananitas outside Grandma’s house. This was a tradition that gave honor and joy to someone you loved; she was a godmother, aunt, or grandma to some of the troubadours. Needless to say, they would be there until the early morning hours singing and eating and drinking coffee before they went home.
No comments:
Post a Comment