Posadas
Date: December 8th

These "posadas" were originally designed to teach about the Nativity and what it represented. This method of acting was used to best educate the people, who most of them were illiterate. Also, because before 1960, all the prayers in the Catholic Church were done in Latin, understanding was more difficult.
The posadas festivities consits in organize in nine different homes a "posada" for each night. The responsible family for each night, plays the roll of the Inkeeppers. They are hosting the prayer or "novena" (nine days paryers) it will be in their home.

Generally, the inkkepers sing from inside the home and the pilgrims sing from outside. Everybody has candles inside of paper lanters and spakles. After singing the verses, the pilgrims are led inside to pray.

Once inside, in front of the Nativity scene, they start to pray on their knees and standing while they sing. After the Rosary, we all go outside to the patio or in the street in front of the hosting home to break the "Piñata", bought by the hosts for the children.

The "Piñata" is always filled up with seasonal fruts, such as oranges, tangerines, sugar canes, besides peanuts. The adults and the children drink a hot puch made out of fruits (such as apple cider), for the evenings in December are always a little chilly. Of course, the cool weather is a good excuse for the adults to add a "sting" (ron, mezcal, cherry, tquila, etc.) to the punch.

Source: Oaxaca-Travel.com