Las Posadas (“the inns” or “the lodgings”)
For generations, families have com to Old Town to celebrate one of San Diego’s oldest traditions, Las Posadas. 2021 marks Old Town’s 63rd annual celebration of the centuries-old Mexican celebration of Mary’s and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. Unfortunately, this year Las Posadas must once again be a virtual experience.
Many traditional Las Posadas celebrations take place over nine nights, from December 16th to December 24th. Each night Mary and Joseph, accompanied by a flock of shepherds and angels, seek shelter at a different inn in Bethlehem. People come together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company with food, drink, and music.
Is this really the 63rd year in a row that Las Posadas has taken place in Old Town? Well, we’re fairly certain it is! The first Las Posadas we know of took place in 1941, but it didn’t become a consistent annual tradition until 1958. We discovered this information only recently, so we now count from the year 1958. Unfortunately, we had to go virtual in 2020, but let’s count that year too, since we did the best we could given the public health crisis. Thank you for joining us this year to keep the Las Posadas tradition alive.
