In Mexican Christmas tradition, the nine-night observance reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter is Las Posadas.
Las Posadas takes place from 16 to 24 December. Participants often process through a neighborhood while singing a dialogue between travelers seeking lodging and householders who initially refuse them. The final welcome represents the shelter given to Mary and Joseph before Jesus’s birth.
Each evening may include prayers, food, music, and a piñata, especially for children. The observance combines Catholic devotional practices with community celebration and is also held in parts of the United States and other countries with Mexican cultural connections.
Las Posadas is sometimes confused with a single Christmas Eve party. Its defining feature is the nine-night sequence, which leads up to Nochebuena, Christmas Eve.