Beloved Christmas tradition returns to the Hispanic Cultural Center

This weekend’s Posada 2017 celebration reignited a beloved Christmas tradition and kicked off what staff hope is a new era at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho.
                                           

Not even the Treasure Valley’s first snow of the Christmas season could keep away the nearly 300 local children and families who came to celebrate the traditional Hispanic Christmas event and holiday. Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic families from around the Treasure Valley gathered to watch the Christmas skit, or pastorela, listen to the choirs, destroy several piñatas and eat their fill of tamales, champurrado and Mexican sweet bread.

Las Posadas is a religious and cultural holiday commemorating the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph to find a room at the inn, or “posada.”

Humberto Fuentes, the president and CEO of the cultural center, said although the center hosted posada celebrations a few years ago, this was its first celebration on a larger, multicultural scale.

Though Las Posadas is traditionally celebrated over a nine-day period, there was just one “posada” celebration in Nampa on Dec. 16.

But with the success of this year’s single-night event, event promoter Antonio Rebolledo hopes the center will be able to expand its celebration in the future and host the traditionally Mexican version of the holiday, with a different family, business or church hosting the party each night from Dec. 16-24.

Children’s choirs from St. Paul’s Catholic School and Grace Episcopal Church in Nampa performed throughout the night, singing traditional Christmas songs and carols in both English and Spanish.

Carla Wibel, the choir director at St. Paul’s Catholic School, said their choir was invited to participate after one of the cultural center staff members heard the children sing during Mass one Sunday. Wibel said the children were excited to dress up in their Christmas pageant costumes and perform for a new audience.