The word posada means inn or lodging, and traditionally in Mexico, posadas are a celebration of the Christmas story. They feature hot food and drinks, sweets, music, and piñatas.
UTA student celebrates posada with her family in Veracruz
ABOUT MY AUDIO STORY
by Xitlalic Valles
Sofia Garcia Reyes, the Event Coordinator for La Sociedad Hispanica at the University of Texas at Arlington, travels to Veracruz with her family every year ahead of Christmas celebrations. A celebration of life held 10 days prior to Christmas Eve, posadas honor the story behind the holiday and is something most look forward to.
Posadas are a religious celebration to honor the birth of Jesus. The purpose behind it is to recreate the birth through song and prayer. Part of the story includes the turning away of Mary and Joseph at different inns and is told through a carol to ask for lodging. It is one of the integral parts of the prayer in order for Mary and Joseph to be welcomed into the home that is hosting the posada that night.
Noche Buena is celebrated on Christmas Eve and marks the closing of the posadas before Jesus is born. This is the night where many people of the Latin community celebrate Christmas and stay with their families until midnight to open any gifts and truly celebrate the holiday. While Christmas day is celebrated by most, it is used more as a time to relax and unwind after a night of festivities.
Meet Xitlalic Valles
Xitlalic Valles transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington after graduating from San Jacinto College in Houston, TX, with an associate degree in communication. While studying at the community college, Xitlalic wrote for the school’s newspaper, the San Jacinto Times.
As the child of immigrant parents, Xitlalic is fluent in both English and Spanish and began to learn the Korean language during the pandemic in 2020. Xitlalic works in the Division of Students Affairs at UT Arlington for EXCEL Campus Activities, as one of the programming directors in charge of coordinating the events that occur on campus.
Xitlalic is expected to earn her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2024 as well as a minor in public relations and a minor in critical language and international studies in Korean.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Since the Fall 2022 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art has partnered with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and brief audio stories.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith teaches the class. She values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to re-enforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
