Las Posadas

Las Posadas, a candlelight procession usually held in mid-December, is an important Christmas event in Santa Fe. It's the reenactment of Joseph and Mary's search for a room at an inn in Bethlehem. The procession begins at the historic Palace of the Governors (the oldest government building in the United States still in use) and wends its way around the Plaza, picking up people along the way. The holy couple stops at an "inn" and all of a sudden the devil pops out of the darkness in a flash of light. He gestures menacingly at the couple and their followers while screaming at them in 16th century Spanish. The crowd boos. This is done three more times (once at each side of the Plaza). The walk culminates in the Palace's courtyard where hot cider and biscochitos (the New Mexico State Cookie) are served to the chilled crowd.