In Mexico, Santa Claus often goes by the name Pancho Navidad. Pancho Navidad crept into Mexican Christmas lore rather recently, but he is gaining popularity every year. Pancho Navidad does not traditionally bring gifts in Mexico. Instead, the piņata is the source of Christmas goodies. The piņata is a clay vessel shaped like an animal and covered with bright colored tissue. Mexican children take turns striking at the Piņata with a stick while blindfolded. When the piņata is broken, candy and trinkets fly out. Christmas festivities begin in Mexico nine days before December 25th. Each day a different home in the village serves as the "posadas", which means lodgings. A procession is formed to reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph into Jerusalem. The pro- cession is accompanied by a guitar and Christmas carolers. When the group arrives at the preselected posadas, they place figures representing the Holy Family onto a temporary altar. After the ceremony, celebrations continue for the rest of the evening. BACK-LIMITED EDITIONS
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