Las Posadas is mainly celebrated in Mexico and in many Latin American countries, and it is also widely observed in Latino communities across the United States (especially in the Southwest and in cities with large Mexican or Central American populations).

Main places it’s celebrated

  • Mexico – This is where Las Posadas is a long-standing religious and cultural tradition, observed in homes, churches, schools, and neighborhoods from December 16–24.
  • Other Latin American countries – Variations of Las Posadas or very similar novena-style Christmas processions are held in parts of Central America and elsewhere in Latin America that share Spanish Catholic heritage.
  • United States (Latino communities) – Public and parish Las Posadas events are held in places like San Antonio (Texas), Santa Fe (New Mexico), Los Angeles and other cities in California, St. Augustine (Florida), and many other communities with strong Mexican/Latino roots.

Typical settings

  • Neighborhood processions and homes – Families and neighbors walk from house to house reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging, singing traditional songs and ending with food, piñatas, and prayer.
  • Churches and missions – Many Catholic parishes and historic missions in Mexico and the U.S. organize nightly Posadas with processions, rosaries, Mass, and community gatherings.
  • Public plazas and cultural streets – Some cities host civic or tourist-friendly Posadas in plazas or historic streets, such as the famous Posadas on Olvera Street in Los Angeles and along the San Antonio River Walk in Texas.

TL;DR: When people ask “where is Las Posadas celebrated,” the answer is: primarily in Mexico, throughout parts of Latin America, and in many Latino and Mexican-American communities across the United States, in homes, churches, and public plazas each December.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.