Keeping Mexican Tradition Alive at Christmas : Celebration: More than 400 people attended the event symbolizing Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.

Fernando Rojas, 31, sat huddled with his two daughters at a table inside a hall here Thursday and explained to them the meaning of Las Posadas, a holiday tradition of Mexican Catholics that symbolizes Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.

“I think it’s important to keep the Mexican traditions alive for them because Christmas is very different in the United States,” said Rojas, a Mexican immigrant who has lived in this country for four years.

Rojas and his family were among the more than 400 low-income people who were invited to a large celebration of Las Posadas sponsored by Catholic Charities, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Ana.

“Our goal with this party was to perpetuate something religious and cultural at Christmas because a lot of times, the true meaning of the holiday is lost,” said coordinator Frank Castillo.

Guests were treated to a large spread of Mexican sweet bread, cookies and cups of a Mexican hot chocolate called champurado, a thick drink made with milk, Ibarra-brand chocolate and cinnamon sticks.

The event began with a group of about 30 children and parents in a candlelight procession. Traditionally, the group knocks on doors and is turned away until it reaches the home of the family hosting the posada.

The re-enactment brought back fond memories for Antonio Hernandez, a 50-year-old unemployed upholsterer who brought his 10-year-old daughter, Guadalupe, to the party.

“For the Mexican people, Christmas is (celebrated) another way,” said Hernandez, who left Mexico eight years ago. “But it is nice here, with Santa Claus.”

In a blending of two cultures, Santa Claus was on hand at the party to present each child with a stocking filled with toys and candy.

Gustavo Molina, 10, quickly ran off the stage after visiting Santa and explored the contents of his stocking. Inside were Donald Duck and Goofy gum-ball dispensers and handfuls of candy.

The John Marshall Elementary School fifth-grader from Westminster smiled, and said he still hoped to get a Nintendo game for Christmas.

“I don’t know if my parents can afford it. They said they would try,” he said.

Juan Neri, 9, got an extra big hug from Santa Claus, no doubt because he hobbled to the stage on crutches with a broken leg.

Afterward, the fourth-grader, whose parents are both unemployed, quickly pulled out the set of Ultra Fast Micro Machine cars that were stuffed in his stocking and examined them carefully.

For many of the children at the party, the stockings, which were filled with items collected by the Catholic Charities Women’s Auxiliary, would probably be the only presents they receive this Christmas.

“This is going to be all because we don’t have enough money this year,” said Ofelia Mendoza, who brought three of her five children to the party.

Mendoza said that nearly all of her husband’s income goes toward paying rent and buying food. She said there is very little, if any, left over.

“But it is going to be a good Christmas, because although we are poor in everything, we have our health and we are together,” she said.

Monsignor Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Orange said he was happy to see a Las Posadas celebration on such a large scale.

“The idea of doing these kinds of services within the spirit of Las Posadas gets to the root of what the real meaning of Christmas is,” Soto said. “Las Posadas is about hospitality and about opening one’s doors and seeing in a stranger the queen of heaven and the king of peace.”