Los Posadas Celebration in Perry Dec. 16

Hispanics United for Perry (HUP) will hold its annual Las Posadas Celebration on Friday, Dec. 16. The celebration will begin with an ecumenical church service at First Christian Church, 1224 Lucinda St., at 6 p.m. After the ceremony, there will be a procession and caroling down Second Street. A dinner of pork birria, rice and beans will be served starting at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 1100 Third St. A free-will offering will be collected to support HUP scholarships for graduating high school seniors. Las Posadas is a traditional Hispanic Christmas celebration that re-enacts Mary and Joseph’s search for a safe place at the inn (posada) for the baby Jesus to be born. The holy couple travels from inn to inn, only to find each one full.  Eventually they are offered posada, or lodging, in a stable, where Mary gives birth to the baby Jesus. In the celebration, participants walk through the streets of town carrying candles. Youths are chosen to play the role of Mary and Joseph, and lead the procession. The procession stops at various businesses, caroling and asking for shelter. At the last stop, participants are invited inside to share a meal together. The tradition of las posadas has been celebrated for centuries in Spain, Mexico, and Central America. It is a popular festival, a time of expectant joy for celebrants to prepare homes and lives for the Christmas miracle.