National Park Service Hosts “Las Posadas”

Date: November 28, 2016
Contact: Jim MacDonald, 925-228-8860 Ext. 6431

Join the National Park Service and the Spanish Choir of St. Catherine of Siena Church for a bilingual program of music, history, and holiday traditions at the Martinez Adobe on the grounds of John Muir National Historic Site. This free event is on Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM.  

 

Las Posadas is a holiday tradition throughout the Americas with origins in New Spain. In the 16th century Spanish missionaries noticed the indigenous people had a ceremony that fell during Christmastime. Las Posadas was developed to convert the native tradition to the Catholic faith.  

This program includes some religious elements for educational and cultural purposes and to share the story of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. People of all faiths are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Come discover how the faith and traditions introduced by the Spanish continue to shape our community.

 

The Martinez Adobe is home to a bilingual exhibit about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail which commemorates the Spanish colonial settlement of the Bay Area in 1776.  

Reservations are not required. Please call the John Muir NHS visitor center at [phone], extension 0 if you have questions. Visitors should meet at John Muir NHS. If it rains, the program will be a sing-along inside the John Muir National Historic Site Visitor Center.

 

Created in 1964, John Muir NHS preserves the home, landscapes, and gravesite of conservationist and national park advocate John Muir. Muir spent his entire life exploring, studying, and writing about his experiences in the American wilderness, most notably the Sierra Nevada Mountains. His writing set the stage for a conservation movement that would spur the protection of nature nationwide and ultimately earn Muir the title “Father of the National Parks”.

 

The John Muir NHS, located at 4202 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553, is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the site is free of charge. For more information, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/jomu or call [phone].