Last night I attended a Posada. The word "posada" means "inn." It's been a long time since I've been. So I thought it would be fun to go when it had already rained heavily and was threatening more of the same. It held up. A Spanish song is sung in 9 verses about the search for lodging all along the way. About 2/3rds of the way along I heard an Irish lilt next to me: "Isn't it lovely?" I turned to see Fr. Mark about 3 feet away from me in the crowd. He'd still been saying Mass when we'd started off. Quite windy, but there was a crowd of about 300+ people who followed the course of Mary and Joseph, Dulcinea (the donkey!), as they sought shelter from mean old innkeepers and were turned away 8 times before reaching La Casa de Estudillo! Mary rode that donkey right across the threshold too. [Nicer digs they couldn't have had! A fine old ranchero and the setting for Helen Hunt Jackson's "Ramona's Wedding!"]
A lot of fun on such a cold night. The shops had stayed open late and a lot of community organizations had turned out. Afterwards there was some pinata breaking for the kids and caroling all over Old Town, including at our church.
4 comments:
You've just solved a mystery, except I didn't realize it was a mystery until I saw your post. There's a pub in central Newcastle called 'The Crown Posada', so that's the odd second name explained.
Actually no, it doesn't explain anything because now I don't know why it doesn't just use the word 'inn' instead of 'posada'. Sigh.
We used to have a Posado in town but they haven't done it in a while. Now I wished I had attended when we had the chance. BTW, there is a little something for you at my blog.
Well, ME, it sorta does still make sense! Usually it's "Las Posadas" the INNS. I bet your pub was once a pub/inn. Pub being short for "public house" and if I'm nto mistaken once upon a time wasn't it a given that a pub was also a stop over hostelry Perhaps not always, but in many if not most cases?
I bet your pub owners have some Spanish background!
Thanks Esther. I think I shall make a point of gooing to the Posada more often. It WAS very fun. And a really nice custom. It wasn't tainted much with frosty the snowman type things!
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