The holidays are a time to come together and celebrate with those closest to us. This is the time of year when festivities abound and traditions come alive. There's no denying that all traditions, both new and old, are what truly make the holiday season special.

In my family, as well as in many other Mexcian households, December is "posada" season. "Las Posadas" is a holiday tradition practiced in much of Latin America, but chiefly in Mexico. The event is a celebration that commemorates the Virgin Mary's and St. Joesph's search for shelter the night that Jesus was born. The party consists of singing traditional "villancicos" or Christmas carols, family, and lots of food. The typical posada menu consists of steaming-hot tamales, tasty pozole, and traditional drinks like "ponche" to warm you up in the chilly December cold.

The Reyes posada is an event we look forward to every year, and to me, it's just not the Christmas season without it.