The Posadas in San Miguel de Allende

From December 16 through December 24, these parties are celebrated all over San Miguel de Allende and Mexico. During nine nights, Mexicans commemorate the story of Mary and Joseph, when they were looking for shelter, just a few days before Jesus' birth. Participants take ceramic figures of Mary and Joseph ("The Pilgrims") in a symbolic manner to be deposited at the home of the Posada host, accompanied with candles and singing the traditional song. Each night ends up with a party at a different house; an important part of the "posada" party is the "piñata", a clay or paper pot ornamented with colorful paper on the outside, filled with candy and fruit. The piñata hangs from a rope. San Miguel children are blindfolded to hit the "piñata" with a stick, until it is broken, the candy and fruit fall to the floor and everyone throw themselves on the ground to pick up the piñata's treats.

The origin of this tradition goes back to the time when the Spanish Missionaries covered a pot with colored papers and put seven spikes representing the seven deadly sins, when the pot was broken with the stick, presents and candy fell to the floor as a sort of reward from heaven for breaking the sin.