La Gran Posada

From my last posting you may have guessed, dear reader, that this Christmas of the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven, I'm revelling in Christmas customs of a Germanic origin. Well, yes. . . after all, many Christmas customs of these United States came here from Deutschland, to include the ubiquitous Christmas tree. I remember reading even that Martin Luther, the German clergyman who began the Protestant Reformation, commenced something to do with the holiday trees! I think perhaps it was the idea of putting lights on an evergreen (candles in his time, of course), to have it symbolize the "Light of Heaven" come down to Earth.

However, REMEMBER: this is San Antonio, Texas, the primary cultural root of which is chicano, Hispanic, Mexican-American (or whatever you wish to label it). My deepest love for all the diverse heritage of this city remains for that which sings or speaks en el español. And so, despite my new-found delight in Weihnachten (German Christmas), my favorite Christmas customs will remain those of Mexican origin. Such as drinking that wonderful Mexican hot chocolate, champurrado, and illuminating pathways with luminarias.

AND. . . I proclaim again my favorite Christmas tradition of all. From any cultural or national origin. La Gran Posada. Please read my description of this event, in last year's posting (23 December).

This year the re-enacted quest of Mary and Joseph for posada en Belén (shelter in Bethlehem), accompanied by a few hundred "fellow peregrinos (pilgrims)" singing villancicos (Spanish carols), had some special twists! For one, the first stop to sing the Posada song was at the brand-new Museo Alameda in El Mercado. Of course, even tho' the museum's representative gave us a nice speech, he still followed the adentro (inside) singer's stanzas and turned us away. Just as in earlier years' Gran Posadas, folk at Mi Tierra restaurant toward the other end of El Mercado had turned away Joseph, Mary and comrades.

Several minutes and a few more villancicos later, as the crowd was departing from the steps of City Hall, where the Mayor's wife, Mrs. Hardberger, had turned us away, a young lady stepped alongside me. She introduced herself as a reporter from the newspaper. She asked me journalistic-type questions about my participation in La Gran Posada. I gladly answered, delighted to share my deep love for San Antonio and her costumbres de Navidad (Xmas customs). At one question I intuitively observed that for me, "La Gran Posada IS Christmas!" A moment later, the reporter having bid me farewell and "Merry Christmas", I had a feeling that THAT remark would be in the next day's Express-News report on 2007's Posada. And it was! (See page 8A of Monday's paper; they misspelled my name, BUT quoted me verbatim.) Sometimes yours truly DOES say something worth quoting -- if I do say so myself!

We had our next-to-last stop in front of the fairly new Justice Center instead of the historic Bexar County Courthouse; construction has blocked off most of Main Plaza, which has the Courthouse on its south side and San Fernando Cathedral on its west. However, County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson gave the traditional greeting -- even while turning us away. Then, due to the curb in front of the Justice Center and that beside the Cathedral property, several strong chicanos lifted the cart topped by a full-size burro which "Mary" rode and beside which "Joseph" stood, down to the street and then up to the other sidewalk. Someone remarked that it was the first time they had seen a flying donkey! ¡Un burro volando! ¡Qué maravilla!

And as for San Antonio and its Gran Posada. . . ¡Qué felicísimo! Once we peregrinos entered San Fernando Cathedral and sang a couple more carols and "Feliz Navidad", it was time for kids to swing sticks at candy-filled piñatas in the Cathedral's courtyard and everyone to take refreshments in its café. For me the latter was a cup of champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) and a small pastry.

As I departed this party ending La Gran Posada, I encountered Father David García, the cathedral's Rector. I congratulated him on his new assignment, just announced in the Express-News, to be the priest overseeing the old Spanish missions of San Antonio. He will take the place of Father Baltasar "Balty" Janacek, who passed away earlier this year. I told Fr. David that he had big shoes to fill, for Fr. Balty had a true passion for San Antonio's crown jewels! However, I shall pray for the Lord's help for him to fill those shoes, and I'm confident he shall fill them. For Father David's passion for lo mexicano is already evident in his advocacy of my favorite Christmas tradition of all traditions, La Gran Posada.