Mexico Edition
World Careful Flame Day leads today's complete edition for Mexico.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
A day for cooking fires, candles, heaters, lamps, grills, ceremonies, workshops, and the respect every culture gives controlled fire.
The nine nights before Christmas (December 16-24) are celebrated with posadas, which are processions that reenact Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The procession goes from house to house, and the participants sing the posada song: "En el nombre del cielo, les pido posada" (In the name of heaven, I ask for lodging). The host refuses entry twice, and on the third attempt, the door is opened and the party begins. The party includes a pinata (a clay pot covered with papier-mache and filled with candy and fruit), ponche (a hot fruit punch), and tamales. The pinata is the star of the posada, and the children take turns hitting it with a stick while blindfolded.