Sonoma businesses, artists and celebrants look forward to the arrival of the holiday season

Every December, Latinos in Sonoma County continue to uphold the Christmas traditions of their home countries.

Elaborately decorated houses, posadas, which are made up of traditional carols joining processions dating back to 16th century Mexico, and steaming cups of punch are some of the traditions that are central to Latino Christmas culture. In Sonoma County, many people play different roles to help organize the Christmas celebrations.

On November 2, as soon as Día de los Muertos concludes, Margarita García places handmade nativity scenes, or nativity scenes, on her store shelves and hangs garlands of metallic green, red and silver to mark the beginning of the holiday. Christmas season.

Garcia is the owner of Arte Mexicano, which has a range of Mexican-style sandals, multicolored beaded jewelry, handmade clothing and other trinkets for the whole year. It has two locations, one store inside El Mercadito in Roseland and another on the first floor of Santa Rosa Plaza, which opened in October 2021.

The nativity scenes she sells come in a variety of sizes, from miniature nativity scenes to about five inches tall, she said. Imported directly to Santa Rosa from Puebla, Mexico, they are made of resin and plaster and then hand-painted in different styles. While Garcia's nativity sales aren't as big as some found in Mexico, she said she sells them to fulfill an important role for her community.

"This is so we don't lose our customs and to explain to our new generations what our traditions are," said Garcia, who is one of many in Sonoma County who help keep the Christmas tradition alive.

The inns

At the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, the Calidanza Dance Company will perform at the annual Posada Navideña, now in its 15th year.

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Steven Valencia, director of Calidanza, a Sacramento-based Mexican dance troupe, will once again enlist his troupe of folkloric and contemporary dancers who will dress in colorful costumes for this year's show.

This spirited celebration, sponsored by Rodney Strong Winery and Los Cien, will include a special performance by LBC's student mariachi band, Mariachi Cantares de Mi Tierra de LBC.

This free, family-friendly event will be held virtually due to concerns about the limited availability of vaccines for children and California's COVID mandates on vaccination and testing requirements. Last year's event was also held virtually.

It will be available online from December 10 at 7 pm and can be accessed through the LBC website until December 12. While the show typically sells out each year, the virtual broadcast will allow more families to see the event.

“We look forward to channeling the excitement of Christmas in Mexico into homes virtually this year and bringing Calidanza Dance Company back in person when it is safe to do so,” said Sari Larson, Associate Director of Programs and Rentals at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. .

Although the event at LBC is usually for a single day, traditionally Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that has its roots in Catholicism. It commemorates the journey that Mary and Joseph made in search of refuge before reaching Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

Come to my house this Christmas

Many people gather with family, friends, or church groups, usually at someone's home, to sing songs, break piñatas, and drink hot fruit punch or hot chocolate or champurrado. Hosts often share colorful goodie bags filled with sweets.

“During these posadas, there are a lot of signs, there are a lot of symbols: the bag of goodies, the piñata. We break, in particular, with the piñata with those sins, with those selfish attitudes, with what doesn't allow us to be brothers, with what doesn't allow us to have fun," said Father Mario Valencia of San Sebastián, a church in Sebastopol.