In Teotitlán del Valle the festival of posadas is celebrated in a particular way. Since, not everyone can make an inn at home, as we are usually used to in more urban regions. Those in charge of keeping track are the committee of the Catholic Temple of Teotitlán, who register the volunteers to offer posadas, in case they do not have all the dates occupied, they must find volunteers.
Beginning on December 15, the first family to receive the pilgrims must pay a mass and escort the pilgrims from the church to their home, with a pilgrimage full of music by the band and joy by the companions and residents of the community. It is important to mention that the volunteer who will receive the pilgrims on December 17 must pay a mass in honor of the Virgen de la Soledad the next day.
On December 23, once the 9 posadas are completed, which represent the Virgin's 9 months of pregnancy, the godfather of the Child God receives the pilgrims. The next morning he will offer a mass and will again escort the pilgrims home, but now with the child god. In the evening, they will be escorted to the church for mass and will remain there until December 31, where the godfather of the Child God will receive them again.
When the pilgrims arrive at the house where they will receive an inn, the praisers will perform approximately one hour of prayer in their honor, then the Sacristan arranges the pilgrims on the altar, it is important to mention that the Sacristan is the only person who can move or accommodate the pilgrims. Once arranged, the family guests pass to leave a candle, offerings and their requests, while this happens, the band continues to play and pray. Next, the landlords offer a dinner first to the church committee and then to the rest of the guests. After dinner is over, prayers by the praisers will continue until 4 a.m. the next day.
The next day the guests return to the house to accompany the band, which will begin to play and pray at 6 in the morning, and then receive a breakfast that may consist of chocolate-atole and the traditional liver. After this the guests go home to leave the food they have received. Once the guests return, they do so with fruit, candy, soda, and a piñata.
Subsequently, the landlord offers a meal and then continues with the traditional syrup dance and the partitioning of the piñatas (sometimes the number of piñatas can be incredibly 50, since normally each guest carries one and the guest list can be of 50 couples). Then the preparations begin to lower the pilgrims from the altar, where the Sacristan intervenes again, while this happens (approximately at 5 pm) they ring bells in the church to warn the community that the procession will begin in an hour. When the Sacristan lowers the pilgrims, the guests come to kiss them to receive their blessings. Once in the procession, the pilgrims are carried exclusively by women and the songs are performed by the praisers accompanied by the band, the band is divided in two so that one part is at the front of the procession and another at the end of it.
It is important to mention that volunteering to offer an inn is a great responsibility for the community. Not only because an investment of important resources is made, but because it is done with the faith and purpose of receiving blessings for the family. When people cannot afford to host an inn because they don't have enough resources, they turn to the Guelaguetza. This implies that they will receive help, either in money or in kind, from relatives, friends or acquaintances, who will then have to pay when they require it.
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