Posada Invitation Wording: Examples for Family, Neighborhood and Office Posadas

Las Posadas are one of the warmest traditions of the Mexican Christmas season: nine nights of candles, songs, piñatas, tamales and hot ponche from December 16 to 24. Whether you grew up going to posadas in Guadalajara or you're hosting your first one in Houston or Chicago, the invitation is where you tell guests what kind of posada it is and what to expect. Ready to pick a design? Browse our posada invitation templates. Hosting for the first time? Read how to host a posada.

This guide gives you posada invitation wording for family, neighborhood and office posadas, explains the customs in plain English for guests who've never been to one, and covers timing, headcount and common mistakes.

Featured TwistInvite DesignsChristmas InvitationsBrowse TwistInvite Christmas video invitation designs for your posada, then add your date, pilgrimage time and RSVP in the app.

What Is a Posada? A Quick Guide for Guests

A posada (Spanish for "inn" or "lodging") reenacts Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Bethlehem. Traditionally:

• Dates: nine nights, December 16 to 24, one for each month of Mary's pregnancy. Most families host just one night; offices and friends often hold a "posada" anytime in December.
• Pedir posada: guests split into two groups. One group walks outside with candles, sometimes carrying figures of Mary and Joseph, and sings verses asking for shelter. The group inside sings back, refusing, until the final verse when the doors open and everyone comes in.
• Piñata: the classic seven-point star piñata, filled with fruit and candy, broken while everyone sings "Dale, dale, dale."
• Food and drink: tamales, pozole or buñuelos, and ponche navideño, a hot fruit punch with guava, tejocote, cinnamon and sugarcane (sometimes with a splash of something stronger for adults).
• Aguinaldos: little bags of candy, peanuts and fruit handed out to kids at the end.

If your guest list includes friends who didn't grow up with posadas, a line or two of explanation in the invitation makes them feel welcome instead of lost.

What to Include on a Posada Invitation

• Type of posada: family, neighborhood, church, office or friends.
• Date and start time, plus the time the procession (the "pedir posada") starts, so nobody misses it.
• Address, and the meeting point if the procession starts down the street.
• What to bring: a candle, a dish for a potluck, candy for the piñata, a gift for an exchange.
• Kids: welcome (they usually are, it's a family event).
• Gift exchange details if there is one: format and budget.
• Dress: warm clothes if you'll be outside, ugly sweaters if it's that kind of party.
• RSVP deadline, so you know how many tamales to order.

Wording for a Family Posada

• We're opening our doors for a family posada!
  Saturday, December 19 · 7 p.m.
  Candles, songs, piñata, tamales and ponche.
  Bring the kids and your best singing voice. RSVP by Dec. 12.
• En nombre del cielo… come celebrate a posada with the Hernández family.
  December 20, 6:30 p.m. · 18 Elm Street
  We'll pedir posada at 7, so please be on time.
• Grandma's posada is back!
  Tamales, ponche and the piñata the grandkids have been waiting for.
  Sunday, Dec. 18 from 6 p.m. Please bring a dessert.

A bilingual invite works well for mixed families: a Spanish opening line ("¡Te esperamos en nuestra posada!") followed by the details in English.

Wording for a Neighborhood or Community Posada

• Neighbors, let's celebrate together!
  Block posada on Maple Court
  Friday, December 18 · Procession starts at 7 p.m. at house #4
  Each family please bring one dish and a bag of candy for the piñata.
• Our church family invites you to the parish posada.
  December 16, 7 p.m. · St. Mary's courtyard
  Candles provided. Ponche and tamales after the procession.

Wording for an Office Posada

In Mexico, the company holiday party is often called "la posada," even if nobody sings the verses. If you're hosting a team posada, say what kind of event it is.

• You're invited to our team posada!
  Thursday, December 17, 6 to 10 p.m. · Salón Jardín
  Dinner, music, a piñata and our Secret Santa exchange ($25 limit).
  Please confirm by December 9.
• Let's close the year Mexican style.
  Office posada with tacos, ponche and a piñata.
  Friday, Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the 3rd-floor lounge. Families welcome.

Short Lines for Friends and Text Messages

• "Posada at our place on the 19th! Tamales, ponche and a piñata. Can you come?"
• "First posada in our new house. Bring a candle and come sing with us."
• "Ponche's on. Posada Saturday at 7. Details and RSVP in the link."

Christmas Market Glow, with its string lights and outdoor-market feel, suits the candlelit, open-air mood of a posada. Hosts create and edit the invitation in the TwistInvite app; guests open the link in a browser and RSVP without an account, which makes it easy to share in a family group chat. Get the App.

How to Know How Many People Are Coming

Posadas tend to grow: cousins bring friends, neighbors bring neighbors. Ask for a headcount in the RSVP ("How many adults and kids?"), set a deadline and send one reminder. Order or make tamales for about 2 to 3 per adult, and plan extra ponche; it goes fast on a cold night.

Planning Your Posada Step by Step

1. Pick your night between December 16 and 24 (or any December weekend for an office or friends' posada).
2. Decide whether you'll do the full procession with the verses or just the party.
3. Print or share the lyrics of the posada song so non-Spanish speakers can join in.
4. Buy candles, the piñata and the candy.
5. Plan the menu or assign dishes.
6. Send invitations, then a reminder two days before.
7. Prepare aguinaldo bags for the kids.

When to Send Posada Invitations

• Office or community posada: 3 to 4 weeks ahead, by mid to late November.
• Family posada: 2 to 3 weeks ahead; December weekends fill up fast.
• RSVP deadline: about a week before, so you can order food.
• Reminder: 1 to 2 days before, with the procession time and address.

Common Mistakes

• Only listing the party time. If the procession is at 7, guests arriving at 7:30 miss the best part.
• Assuming everyone knows the tradition. One sentence of explanation helps new friends join in.
• Forgetting the weather. If you'll walk outside, tell people to dress warmly.
• No piñata plan for kids of different ages: a little-kids round first, then the big kids.
• Vague potluck. Assign dishes or you'll end up with ten bags of chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a posada?

A Mexican Christmas tradition held between December 16 and 24 that reenacts Mary and Joseph's search for shelter, with a candlelit procession, call-and-response songs, a piñata, tamales and hot ponche.

What should a posada invitation say?

The type of posada, date, start time and procession time, address or meeting point, what to bring (candles, a dish, candy, a gift), whether kids are welcome and an RSVP deadline.

When are posadas held?

Traditionally on the nine nights from December 16 to 24. Families usually host one of those nights, and offices or friends often hold a posada on any December weekend.

Can non-Spanish speakers join a posada?

Absolutely. Share the song lyrics ahead of time or print them, and add a short explanation of the tradition to the invitation.

What is ponche navideño?

A hot Mexican Christmas fruit punch made with fruits like guava, tejocote, apple and sugarcane, spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with piloncillo.

How far ahead should I send a posada invitation?

Two to three weeks for a family posada and three to four weeks for an office or community posada.

Conclusion

A good posada invitation sets the mood with a warm line, then gives guests the procession time, address, what to bring and a clear RSVP. If some guests are new to the tradition, explain it in a sentence and invite them to sing along. For more holiday wording, see our Christmas party invitation wording guide.