PEOPLE & 



PLACES 



Take a Glimpse Into 

 Sound Country 

 Holiday Traditions 



A, 



By 



Ann Green 



fter Rosa Hernandez moved 

 from Mexico to the Sound Country community 

 of Columbia, she became homesick for the 

 Hispanic holiday homage to Mary and 

 Joseph. 



Dubbed "La Posada" — which means 

 lodging or shelter in Spanish — the colorful 

 re-enactment of the Holy Family's quest for 

 lodging before the birth of baby Jesus has been 

 carried out in Mexico for centuries. Both 

 children and adults participate in a luminary 

 procession to designated homes, where they 

 often sing carols. A child, dressed as Mary 

 and perched on a live burro, often leads the 

 procession. 



To carry on this old Hispanic tradition, 

 Hernandez initiated a one night "La Posada" 

 in 2001 as part of River Town Christmas on 

 the Scuppernong in historic Columbia in 

 Tyrrell County. 



"This celebration is very important to 

 me and my family because it tells us about 

 the birth of Jesus Christ," says Hernandez. 

 "We wanted to share this celebration 

 with everybody. It is different from the 

 celebration in Mexico where they have 

 pilgrimages nine days before Christmas 

 to signify the nine months of Mary's 

 pregnancy." 



The colorful tradition helps other residents 

 in the growing Hispanic population in 

 Tyrrell County feel more connected to the 

 community. 



"Hispanics are settling everywhere, 

 including Tyrrell County," says Dorothy 

 Redford, site manager of Somerset Place in 

 nearby Washington County. "New 



Each year, the community of Columbia celebrates 

 River Town Christmas with a flotilla on the Scuppernong 

 River and a parade in downtown Columbia. 



immigrants are embraced and accepted here. 

 Columbia is very open to newcomers for a small 

 southern town." 



LUMINARY PROCESSION 



At this year's River Town Christmas, 

 La Posada will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6. 

 A group of children dressed as the Holy 

 Family and followed by dozens of other 

 participants will carry candles to several 

 businesses and homes in downtown Columbia. 



In keeping with the Spanish tradition, 

 the group will knock on each door and sing 

 "We are Mary and Joseph Looking for 

 Shelter." 



"At first, the family inside refuses to let 

 them in," says Hernandez, a Tyrrell County 

 teacher. "Then the travelers sing again and 

 move on to another place." 



Their journey culminates at the 

 downtown fire station where they celebrate 

 with Mexican food and drinks, including 

 enchiladas, atole — a sweet drink made from 

 cornmeal — and other dishes. Then the 

 children knock down the pinata filled with 

 goodies. 



The 5th Annual River Town Christmas 

 on the Scuppernong, which runs Dec. 4-6, 

 also includes a flotilla — a lighted boat 

 parade on the Scuppernong River. 



"We usually have between eight and 

 12 boats lighted and decorated with 

 everything from snowmen to birds and a 

 Christmas tree," says Luittard Dietrich, one 

 of the owners of the International Yachting 

 Center in Columbia. 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 21 



