In Search of a Room at the Inn : Las Posadas Re-Enact Original Christmas

They stood at the door of a small house in Harbor Gateway, a dark-haired boy and girl leading their church choir in song and asking for posada , or lodging.

Would they be let in?

At first, the answer from behind the closed door was “no,” but they were eventually accepted.

Thus began the exchange that is part of the Catholic Christmas tradition called las posadas, in which a group acts out Joseph’s and Mary’s search for room at the inn.

Las posadas are observed throughout Latin America and parts of Spain and reflect the growing presence of Latinos in the Southland. It is a custom that is increasingly common here. Typically, the posadas observance takes place over the nine nights before Dec. 25, with Mary and Joseph seeking a room at a different home each evening.

Sometimes, large figures of Mary and Joseph are carried at the head of the procession. At others, children act out the parts of Mary and Joseph, angels and shepherds.

“We celebrate it with great joy and happiness,” said Father Miguel Amengoal, who organized las posadas at Nativity Catholic Church in Torrance. “Every night is different, with different families and throughout the barrio. In this way, there is more Christmas spirit, with more people celebrating.”

Nativity Catholic Church has sponsored posadas for at least 20 years, church officials said. The church’s parishioners come from as far as Compton and Bellflower, Amengoal said.

Braving the chilly evening weather earlier this week, Monique Diaz and Daniel Martinez, both 7, dressed as Mary and Joseph. Daniel clutched a makeshift staff as they came to the home of Juan and Gloria Flores.

What followed was a ceremony of song during which the people outside and the “innkeepers” inside bantered back and forth until the latter were persuaded to let the procession in. “Entren , santos peregrinos, “ the innkeepers said--”Enter, holy pilgrims.”

Inside, ceramic figurines were arranged around a Nativity scene in the living room alongside a Christmas tree. Monique, holding a figurine of baby Jesus, placed it at the center of the Nativity scene.

“I liked holding the baby,” she said proudly.

Inez Silva, a member of the choir, said she loves to sing and participates in the posadas every year.

“You feel really emotional because you remember your childhood,” Silva said. “We used to always go to posadas when I was a child. It makes you feel a part of the Christmas spirit.”

The choir was also accompanied by a band of musicians who sang Christmas carols in Spanish. Amengoal’s sermon was also conducted in Spanish. Afterward, the procession was led outside, where blindfolded children took turns at trying to bust open a papier-mache pinata in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Monique, with a load of candies tucked in her skirt, beamed: “It’s fun!”