posadas

Posadas is a name used for multiple Spanish-language places and traditions. It can refer to a city in Argentina as well as to a traditional Christmas observance in parts of the Spanish-speaking world. The word also functions as the general Spanish term for inns or lodging, a usage that informs the naming of related places and customs.

Posadas, Misiones, Argentina, is the capital city of Misiones Province in the northeastern part of the country. It sits on the eastern bank of the Paraná River opposite Encarnación, Paraguay, and serves as a regional administrative and commercial hub. The city is connected to its Paraguayan counterpart by the San Roque González de Santa Cruz International Bridge. Posadas functions as a gateway to regional tourism and natural areas in Misiones, including the Iguazú falls region and the subtropical rainforest. Its economy includes services, commerce, and light manufacturing, with a significant emphasis on cross-border trade given its location near the tri-border region.

Las Posadas is a Christmas tradition observed in Mexico and parts of Central America and by Hispanic communities elsewhere. The observance typically spans from December 16 to December 24 and reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. Processions travel from house to house, with participants singing and asking for lodging; hosts enact a sequence of refusals followed by welcome, often culminating in a communal gathering with prayers, food, and a piñata. The practice emphasizes hospitality, community, and anticipation of the Nativity as part of Advent celebrations.

In addition to these uses, posada or posadas in Spanish denotes an inn or lodging establishment, a meaning that underpins historical travel, trade routes, and place names throughout the Spanish-speaking world.