Corrales Chronicles

Published December 15th, 2023 at 10:00 am, Last Updated March 26th, 2024 at 7:23 am

By Mary Davis, Corrales Village Historian

Did you know that this year in Corrales there will be two offerings of the old Spanish Christmas presentation of Las Posadas (the inns), the story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter for the birth of Jesus? 

The Corrales Historical Society will stage the event at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22 at the Old San Ysidro Church. Jayce Lopez and Ava Belle Cadeña, both 8- years old, dressed as Mary and Joseph and accompanied by two inseparable donkeys, will come to the Old Church asking for a place to stay. The Spanish choir from Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Bernalillo will sing the couple’s request to enter and the audience will answer with the traditional refusal until everyone joins in a heartening invitation to the Holy Family to enter. Refreshments will be served, the church courtyard will be lit with farolitos (incorrectly known as luminarias), and a luminaria—or bonfire—will add to the gleaming scene.

The traditional nine-day observance of Las Posadas will be performed by members of San Ysidro Church parish on Corrales Road from Dec. 16 through Christmas Eve. Each night for the nine days before Christmas individuals costumed as Mary and Joseph followed by people dressed as shepherds, angels, and the wise men will walk from house to house seeking shelter. On each of the first eight nights they are refused entry (although the hosts do serve food to the procession), but on Christmas Eve they arrive at the church and are recognized and invited inside to participate in a joyful celebration of la Noche Buena. 

More information on this observance can be obtained from Jovita, secretary at the new church at (505) 898-1779

Las Posadas is a venerable Hispanic tradition created in the 16th century by a Spanish friar in Mexico to illustrate for the Aztec natives the story of Christ’s birth. It has been carried on for over 400 years in Mexico, parts of the American southwest, Latin and Central America, and the Philippines. Although modern versions of the celebration differ depending on the locale, the basic story is that of the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem.

The photograph is from a performance at the old San Ysidro Church, one of 14 such reenactments offered by the Historical Society each Christmas season from 1999 to 2013. The idea to provide a shortened version of the old ceremony came from Society member Mary Harrington who wanted to share the heartwarming story with the wider Corrales community. Mrs. Harrington invited a choir from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Los Griegos to perform the singing, and they happily returned to sing at all the presentations. Mrs. Harrington, a parishioner at the new San Ysidro church ever since she and her husband moved to Corrales in 1991, was sad the new San Ysidro Church did not offer Las Posadas at that time. As noted above, they now perform the ceremony and have done so since 2008.

I had a wonderful interview with Mary Harrington regarding her part in the Historical Society’s Los Posadas productions. Since this is the Society’s 50th anniversary, I want to give a shout out to her as not only the facilitator of the Las Posadas presentations but also as the originator of the Society’s Speaker Series. As well she was an active participant along with Hope Grey and Donna Erickson in putting on a Mercado Antiguo each Harvest Festival for years, featuring well known Hispanic artists and craftsmen. Her joy and satisfaction in being able to offer glimpses of New Mexico’s rich culture was inspiring.

Information provided by Corrales Historical Society (CHS) Archives Committee. Want to learn more? Visit www.CorralesHistory.org for all the interesting things the Historical Society has to offer. New CHS members are always welcome.