Las Posadas

In the small town of Santa Marta, the children participate in a Christmas tradition of going house to house, looking for baby Jesus, for the nine days that precede Christmas.  They carry torches as they parade through the town, knocking on doors and finding them locked ... that is, all but one.  In that house, they do not find the baby Jesus, just an empty crib, until the last night of Las Posadas. 

On the last night, they kneel and pray at the crib, where baby Jesus lays.  They celebrate with music and dancing and pinatas filled with candy and small toys.