MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Local restaurant Cultura Mia held their annual Posada for the community last week.
It was all a part of a long-time Mexican tradition, where friends and family gathered together to celebrate Christmas.
- A posada is a Mexican tradition that takes place between Dec. 16 and Christmas Eve.
- The gathering is meant to commemorate Joseph and Mary looking for a place to stay where Jesus could be born.
- Cultura Mia celebrated with music, coffee, bread, and dancing
- A pinata with seven spikes gets broken to signify starting the new year fresh.
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“A Posada for Mexican culture is basically commemorating Joseph and Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay,” Jesus Rodriguez said.
Several people came together Wednesday night at Cultura Mia for the restaurant’s annual community Posada.
"We’ve knocked on the door, we’re looking for a place to shelter," Rodriguez said.
"Your house and your neighborhood, everybody hosts them, — you can hold them at your own house and invite people, and that’s the tradition behind it."
This is a beloved tradition where people gather to eat, tamales, pozole, café and pan.
For Jessica Moreno Gonzales though, its about celebrating her Catholic faith.
“There’s free food. How is that? It’s a part of a tradition where you open your doors to someone when they’re knocking like Mary and Joseph did, and you say 'Yes', that’s what we’re literally here to explain," Moreno Gonzales said.
"We’re here to say 'Yes' — if Mary and Joseph would have knocked on our door, we would say 'yes'."
Another part of the tradition is breaking a pinata with seven spikes, symbolizing the seven sins.
“We crack it, and basically starting the new year, that’s kind of the significance behind that — starting fresh,” Rodriguez said.
For Moreno Gonzales, sharing a prayer, a bueñelo, and her culture, is a special moment that she’ll never forget.
“It’s just beautiful, what we’ve made it and to be a part of it today, and to share it with others," Moreno Gonzales said.
"It’s just — I don’t know. It’s beautiful to be a part of something that anyone can walk in and see."
Cultura Mia also gave away toys to all of the children that showed up at the Posada.
This is the restaurants second community Posada — they plan to continue this celebration next year.
