What to Know
- Step-by-step guides are available for free on the El Pueblo de Los Angeles site
- You'll need to have the materials on hand (they're listed on the site)
- Construction paper Las Posadas candles, tin ornaments, concha ornaments
There are so many meaningful, join-together, joy-filled events in December, and one of the oldest and sweetest happens at Olvera Street over nine candlelit nights.
It's Las Posadas, when musicians serenade Mary and Joseph as they search for room at an inn. The timeless canciones tell the heartfelt tale, and locals gather to watch the group wend through the historic thoroughfare.
Such evenings are not happening in 2020, but there is a way that you and your kids can find the spirit of the annual observance and connect with bygone times spent at Olvera Street.
For El Pueblo de Los Angeles has posted a few at-home crafts for families to enjoy, including a workshop devoted to Las Posadas candles.
These aren't wax pillars or tealights, we should note, and no wicks are involved.
Rather, these sweet candle-like crafts are made from construction paper, meaning you may have everything you need, materials-wise, around the house right now.
And are you a fan of the festive tin ornaments seen around Olvera Street?
You can make crafts that pay respectful homage to the traditional Mexican decorations if you have some foil in the house, and cardboard, and any twine (or yarn or even string).
For El Pueblo has also posted the step-by-step guide to making these merry tree baubles, beautiful additions that can take the shape of a star or a bell or a heart or anything you like.
And if you were hoping to have a few colorful conchas on your tree, there is a workshop for those, too, on the El Pueblo site.
Again, you'll need to have the materials and tools (like scissors) on hand, but the instructions are complimentary.
Dreaming of a future Christmas season, one that you'll spend strolling through Olvera Street during the nine nights of Las Posadas?
Here's one way to find the serene sweetness of the season, and some of the traditional touches you love, on the El Pueblo de Los Angeles site.
