16th December Las Posadas

 

Just as for other religious celebrations we can rely on Tomie dePaola to have created a picture book about it. Poinsettia Day is celebrated on the 12th December in Mexico and Tomie dePaola helps children understand its significance in his story The Legend of the Poinsettia. Then he does it for Las Posadas in his book The Night of Las Posadas.

Las Posadas, is celebrated  between December 16 and 24. It commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge for Mary to give birth to the baby, Jesus.  When they were unable to find lodging in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary were forced to seek shelter in a stable, where the Christ Child was born.

Las Posadas is celebrated in cities and towns across Mexico. Each evening during the festival, a small child dressed as an angel leads a procession through the streets of the town. The procession is primarily made up of children dressed in silver and gold robes carrying lit candles and images of Mary and Joseph riding a donkey. Adults, including musicians, follow the procession, which visits selected homes and asks for lodging for Joseph and Mary. Traditionally, the procession is always refused lodging, though the hosts often provide refreshments. At each stop, passages of scripture are read and Christmas carols are sung.

Mass is held each day after the procession, and, at the conclusion of the service, children break open piñatas filled with candy, toys, and, occasionally, money. The piñatas are usually crafted in the form of the Star of Bethlehem, which is said to have guided the three wise men to the newborn Jesus.   Encyclopaedia Britannica

The three wise men also appear in The Legend of Old Befana, and The Story of the Three Wise Kings other Christmas stories by Tomie dePaola.

If your family are fans of eating panettone at Christmas, it is good to also read Tony's Bread to be reminded of why it is that shape and tastes the way it does. 

Just reading Tomie dePaola's Christmas stories will make you extremely knowledgable about Christmas traditions in many parts of the world. See:

5th January La Befana

La Befana is part of traditional Italian Epiphany celebrations. I have borrowed this from Anthony Parente to explain what it means. "La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hope that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal." This story is told beautifully by Tomie dePaola in The Legend of Old Befana. We can always rely on Tomie to have a picture book about any Italian tradition!

Interestingly, the Russians also have a folktale about an old woman who is also visited by three wise men who are on their way to visit a new baby. She is known as Baboushka. If you cannot find the dePaola book, look for one of the Russian folktales. My library has these three, but there are others:

• Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn & Sophie Fatus

• Baboushka by Arthur Scholey & Helen Cann

• The Tale of Baboushka by Elena Pasquali & Lucia Mongioj