Have you ever attended a Christmas posada in Mexico? Or do you want to know more about what it is? Christmas posadas in Mexico are nine days of religious observance that are celebrated in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba and festivities initiate on December 16th and end on December 24th. A celebration for families and friends, posadas value the Mexican culture and Spanish traditions and have been observed in Mexico for over 400 years. A great time for families to come together and celebrate, Christmas posadas are a religious tradition that has staying power. Read below to learn more information about Christmas Posadas in Cabo.

Each year the posada season begins on December 16th and ends on Christmas Eve on December 24th. This 9-day event is a commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. You will notice candlelit processions and reenactments throughout Cabo town and residential neighborhoods during the posada season. Posada processions finish at a home where everyone enjoys an abundance of delicious food and drink. Many other Mexican holidays also recreate dramatizations of original events, and the posada tradition was based on Biblical plays designed to teach religious doctrine to a largely illiterate population in Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries.

In Mexico, Christmas Eve is actually the most important day of the season as opposed to Christmas Day itself. Known in Spanish as Nochebuena, Christmas Eve officially culminates the posada festivities and the birth of Christ is celebrated at midnight. Families also attend a traditional midnight mass, and then go back home for dinner and opening presents. On Christmas Day, families enjoy a laid back day at home enjoying leftovers and family time.

Mexican celebrations are typically centered on food and drink and that is a huge part of a posada as well. Traditionally, everyone brings a dish to share at the posada. Popular posada foods include tamales, mole, menudo and sweetbreads. Ponche is a standard posada drink that is derived from sugar cane, prunes, apples and the fruit of the tejocotes (a hawthorn bush). During a Christmas posada, families and friends in Cabo San Lucas and across Mexico share a meal as they celebrate Christmas together.

Would you like to experience a posada in the Cabo San Lucas area for yourself? Vacationers and visitors are welcome to join in on the fun as many local resorts and restaurants offer special Christmas dinners with a posada theme.