Why are posadas 9 days?

The cultural tradition of Las Posadas (translated to “the inns”) is carried out every year during the 9 days before Christmas. Las Posadas is celebrated mostly by communities in Mexico and Central America, and the 9 days of celebration represent the 9 months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus.

What does 9 nights of posadas mean?

Las Posadas, (Spanish: “The Inns”) religious festival celebrated in Mexico and some parts of the United States between December 16 and 24. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus.

What is the 9th and final night of Las Posadas called?

Misa de Gallo, Mass of the Rooster
On December 24th, the ninth and final night of the Posada, everyone attends midnight mass. Midnight mass is called Misa de Gallo, Mass of the Rooster. Then the real celebrations begin after mass. Santa Claus does not arrive, Christmas presents are not exchanged, this is not part of the Mexican traditional Christmas.

What does each day of Las Posadas represent?

Each day corresponds to one month that baby Jesus was carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In Taos Las Posadas is celebrated throughout the county.

What do the 9 nights represent?

The Nine Night celebration is the equivalent of a wake for a Christian funeral. Instead of a short wake (held immediately before the burial), the Nine Night is a service for the deceased that lasts the entire night.

How do they celebrate Las Posadas?

Las Posadas is a tradition brought to Latin America by the Spanish and adopted in both Mexico and Guatemala. Starting December 16th at dusk, families, friends, and neighbors dress up as angels and shepherds. Two people are dressed as Mary and Joseph, as well as the innkeeper.

When did the Las Posadas tradition begin and why?

This celebration has been a Mexican tradition for over 400 years, starting in 1586. Many Mexican holidays include dramatizations of original events, a tradition which has its roots in the ritual of Bible plays used to teach religious doctrine to a largely illiterate population in 10th- and 11th-century Europe.

What does 9 days of mourning mean?

The Nine Days of Mourning was a tradition on the world of Bellassa that followed the death of a loved one.

What is the meaning of 9 days after death?

According to ancient beliefs, the deceased’s soul stays on Earth for up to 9 days after the death. During this time, the family gathers for prayers and a celebratory meal in honor of the deceased.

What do you do on the 9th day of death?

After the entombment, mourners offer prayers such as the rosary for the dead every evening for nine days, a custom called the pasiyam or pagsisiyam (literally, “that which is done for nine days”). This novena period often ends with a service followed by formal meal with family and close friends.

What happened during the 9 days?

The Nine Days are part of a larger period of time known as The Three Weeks, which begin with the public fast day of the Seventeenth of Tammuz — commemorated in Judaism for the time when the forces of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia broke through the defensive walls surrounding Jerusalem, generally accepted as happening in …

Can you travel during the Nine Days?

During The Nine Days, one must be even more vigilant to avoid situations of danger. Although air travel is actually one of the safest modes of travel, since we recite Birkas Ha’Gomel when traveling by plane, it is considered a danger from a halachic point of view. It should therefore be avoided.

What are the 9 days Judaism?

The nine days is the period in which we mourn the calamities and misfortune of the Jewish people and is the most intense part of the three weeks. It’s a time of grieving over the destruction of the first and second Beit Hamikdash, along with the associated tragedies.

Why don’t we eat meat during the Nine Days?

The answer is that meat and wine remind us of the Temple service, which is a source of happiness, where Hashem was served by offerings of korbanos of meat and wine. Luckily, there are a few exceptions: Eating meat and drinking wine are permitted on Shabbat, including seudat shlishit (the 3rd meal).

Can you have beer during the Nine Days?

Beer, whiskey, and wine vinegar are permitted. The restriction applies to men, women and children, even to children who are under the age of chinuch and who do not understand the concept of mourning for the destruction of the Beis ha-Mikdash.

What is the purpose of Tisha B Av?

Tisha B’av (The Ninth of Av) is a day of mourning and fasting. The holiday commemorates various tragedies that befell the Jewish people throughout history, particularly the destruction of the two temples in 586 BCE and 70 CE.

Are you allowed to cut nails in the Nine Days?

Cutting nails during the Three Weeks is permitted. Some prohibit nail cutting during the week in which Tisha B’Av occurs.

What can you not do in 9 days?

Things to be avoided at this time include listening to or playing music, giving or receiving gifts, laundering clothes, purchasing new clothes, cutting hair and shaving (even for those who otherwise do so during the rest of the Three Weeks), weddings and other festive gatherings, and bathing for pleasure.

Can you drink wine during the 9 days?

Can I cook with wine during the Nine Days? Beginning Rosh Chodesh Av until after Tisha B’Av (the Nine Days) the custom of Ashkenazim is not to eat meat or drink wine, in remembrance of the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. Therefore, one cannot cook with wine during the Nine Days.

Can you listen to music during the Nine Days?

Listening to instrumental music is usually prohibited during the mourning period leading up to Tisha Be’av, the day when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.