The sweet smell of warm punch filled the air while children’s laughter echoed around the room, making the posada feel alive, warm, and welcoming.
On Dec. 13, the Biligual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC) hosted their first-ever Christmas posada, welcoming parents, children and students at West Chicago Community High School.
BPAC is directed by a parent committee, along with Juan Suarez, who is in charge of Multilingual & Multicultural Services, and Teresa Ocon, who is a family outreach coordinator. Together, they host meetings throughout the year with a mission to help bilingual parents get involved at WEGO and bring positive change for students currently enrolled at West Chicago Community High School.
The committee decided to host a posada as a way to keep Mexican traditions alive and pass them on to future generations. By organizing this event, BPAC created a space where families could come together, celebrate their culture, and feel connected to the school community.
“Estamos celebrando con los padres una posada para seguir nuestras tradiciones mexicanas con una posada,” BPAC president Liliana Medina said. “(We are celebrating with parents by hosting a posada to continue our Mexican traditions.)”
The posada offered traditional foods like pozole, tamales, and warm punch, filling the room with comforting aromas. Children gathered around tables to decorate cookies, while others lined up excitedly to take photos with Santa.
“Trajimos pozole, tamales y unos aguinaldos para los niños y trajimos a Santa Claus para darles un ratito de alegría por toda la situación que ha estado pasando en la comunidad,” Medina said. “(We brought pozole, tamales and small gifts for the children, and we brought Santa Claus to give them a little bit of joy given everything that has been happening in the community.)”
The celebration concluded with a special game that allowed participants to win a variety of prizes, including gift cards, shirts, socks, and sweet treats, leaving families with smiles as the night came to an end.
