Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, Patrona de los Oaxaqueños, photos, popular travel destinations, Queen of Oaxaca, Virgen de La Soledad, Virgin of Solitude on December 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »
December 18th is a day fit for a queen. It is the day Oaxaca honors her patroness and queen, La Santísima Virgen de la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude). Always rendered with hands clasped in prayer, this portrayal of the Virgin Mary contemplates the death of her son.
Though currently 2000 miles away from my Oaxaca home, I’m sending happy feast day wishes to Our Lady of Solitude and the people of Oaxaca.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, Mexico, Oaxaca, Our Lady of Guadalupe, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle, Virgen de Guadalupe, Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12, 2022| 7 Comments »
In Oaxaca, at any time of year, images of la Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) are never far away.
However, today, December 12, is Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe and she and her image are being celebrated — including by the danzantes of Danza de la Pluma Promesa 2022-2024 in Teotitlán del Valle.
The legend of La Virgen de Guadalupe is known to every Mexican, every person of Mexican descent, and probably every foreigner who calls Mexico home. The image of this dark-skinned Virgin Mary who spoke Náhuatl is as imprinted on the national consciousness as she was on Juan Diego’s legendary tilma (cloak).
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día de la Virgen de Juquila, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Virgen de Juquila, Virgin of Juquila on December 8, 2022| 10 Comments »
This morning, before dawn broke, the booms of cohetes celebrating Día de la Virgen de Juquila woke me from a dreamy sleep. A rude awakening? Not really. After all these years, the sound makes me smile. The all-bang-no-bling rockets mean something is being celebrated. Since mid November, pilgrims from all over Latin America have been traveling to Santa Catarina Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico. They arrive by bus, bicycle, motorcycle, on foot, and on their knees to pay homage, give thanks, and ask for blessings in front of the tiny image of la Virgen de Juquila. According to this article, they will continue to make the pilgrimage until December 28.
Why do they come? According to legend, in 1633, when a fire burned the Chatino village of Amialtepec to the ground, a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was rescued amidst the ashes. She was undamaged, save for her light skin color, which was permanently darkened by the smoke, causing her to more closely resemble the Chatino people, who live in this remote mountainous region between Oaxaca city and the Pacific coast. Local priests declared her survival a miracle and her veneration commenced. However, that wasn’t the end of the story; the priest in the village of Santa Catarina Juquila convinced the “powers that be” that she should be moved to the bigger and better church in Juquila. She, however, had other ideas and returned to Amialtepec. This back and forth continued another three times. Finally, in 1719, La Morenita (the dear dark one), as she had come to be known, gave up her traveling ways and agreed to call Santa Catarina Juquila her permanent home.
She “is a symbol of love, of protection, of justice, of peace, of respect for human dignity.” And, because of her indigenous roots, “the homage to the Virgin of Juquila is similar to that rendered to the Virgin of Guadalupe, not only in Oaxaca, but also in Puebla, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico, Veracruz and Chiapas, as well as in the United States, for the religiosity of migrants.”
On October 8, 2014, la Virgen de Juquila received a papal coronation — hence the crown seen in images one, two, and four. And, on October 26, 2022, a delegation from Oaxaca traveled to Rome to present Pope Francis with a very special image of la Virgen de Juquila. It was a collaborative work carved and painted in the Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop in San Martín Tilcajete, with metalwork by Conrado Villegas Alcázar and filigree work by the jeweler José Jorge García García, both from Oaxaca city. Her vestments were made by Elsa Abigail Mendoza Antonio from Santo Tomás Jalietza.
This is the Virgen de Juquila presented to Pope Francis. The photo is from the Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop website.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Music, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged bands, Barrio de Jalatlaco, Day of the Musicians, Día de Santa Cecilia, marching bands, Mexico, music, musicians, Oaxaca, parades, photos, popular travel destinations, processions, Saint Cecilia, Teotitlán del Valle, video on November 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Why I love Oaxaca, reason number 2,022 — music is heard everywhere and seemingly all the time. November 22 is Día de Santa Cecilia who, among other things, is the patron saint of musicians.
And, since this post honors musicians, how about a little music…
A big muchisimas gracias to musicians all over the world who provide the soundtrack of our lives.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cemetery, cempasúchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, flowers, fruit, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, panteón, photos, popular travel destinations, Tlacolula de Matamoros on November 17, 2022| 5 Comments »
Under the sun dappled light filtering through the 500 year old ahuehuete trees, there was stillness and peace.
November 2, 2022 in the panteón of Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged altars, Barrio de Jalatlaco, candles, cempasúchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, flowers, images of the saints, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, ofrendas, papel picado, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on November 10, 2022| 8 Comments »
Every Día de Muertos, I love seeing the artistry of public ofrendas, feel honored being welcomed into the homes of friends and placing pan de muertos on their very personal ofrendas, and enjoy assembling my own ofrenda to departed loved ones. (Click on each image to see the details.)
I love the spicy and welcoming scents of cempasúchitl (marigolds), lacy flor de muerto from the Sierra Norte, pan de muertos, and incense of copal.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on November 5, 2022| 9 Comments »
The Día de Muertos murals in my Barrio de Jalatlaco neighborhood continue to go forth and multiply…
As do the crowds. Love the former. No comment about the latter.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, calacas, Day of the Dead decor, Día de Muertos, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, skeletons on October 31, 2022| 6 Comments »
Everywhere one looks, skeletons can be seen hanging around my Jalatlaco neighborhood.
They are even floating above us.
At least they order something when they enter a restaurant.
All in all, they look pretty happy, even if some of their poses look mighty uncomfortable.
Hmmm, I wonder what they are waiting for. Día de Muertos, perhaps?
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chotis de 4 Reyes, dancers, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, religious celebrations, Schottische of the Four Kings, Teotitlán del Valle, video on October 19, 2022| 8 Comments »
For two days following the previously mentioned convite inviting the villagers of Teotitlán del Valle and guests to the festival honoring the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary), the Danza de la Pluma was performed in the atrium of the church. The Danza de la Pluma is a ritual reenactment of the battles between the Aztec and the Spanish conquistadors. There are thirty nine dances that tell the story. This is the Chotis de 4 Reyes– a Schottische performed by the four kings allied with Moctezuma.
As you can see, the dance steps are complex and made all the more challenging by the wind, which comes up most late afternoons this time of year, catching the massive penachos (the headpieces) worn by the dancers. By the way, this day was the actual feast day so they danced for seven hours. I don’t know how they do it!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged convite, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, procession, religious processions, Teotitlán del Valle on October 6, 2022| 12 Comments »
A BFF since age twelve (don’t ask how long ago that was) and her husband are visiting. I took them to the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle for the Santísima Virgen del Rosario festival — three days of witnessing the weft of Spanish conquistador Catholicism woven onto the warp of indigenous Zapotec culture. The public festivities began with Friday evening’s convite — a formal 45 minute procession, through the streets of the village, that serves as an invitation to the festival.
I think my friends were impressed!
Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged camoouflage paint, Día de la Independencia, desfille, drummers, equestrians, Himno Nacional Mexicana, horses, Mexican Independence Day, Mexican National Anthem, Mexico, military, Oaxaca, parade, photos, popular travel destinations on September 21, 2022| 4 Comments »
After a two year absence, thanks to the pandemic, Mexico’s Independence Day parade returned to the streets of Oaxaca’s capital. There were lots of drums that had me hearing snare drums in my sleep that night. But, note all the young women drummers! (Click on each image to enlarge.)
Being that this was a civic and military parade, there were the requisite scary guys and gals with guns and military hardware.
But there were also contingents of firefighters, federal disaster relief, and the Red Cross.
There were horses with stunningly dressed male and female riders.
And, there were the young riders… from toddlers to preteens. Did I mention there were lots of horses?
And, to end the parade, there was a patriotic float with beautiful young women, dressed in the green, white, and red of the Mexican flag, singing the national anthem, “Himno Nacional Mexicano.”
¡Viva México!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chiles en Nogada, El Mes de la Patria, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, patriotic decorations, photos, popular travel destinations on September 7, 2022| 3 Comments »
Adding some welcome color to these grey rainy season days, on the first of September my neighbors raised their ginormous flag marking the beginning of the Mes de la Patria — a month-long celebration of Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain.
The war lasted eleven years — from September 16, 1810, with Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s call to arms (Grito de Dolores), to September 27, 1821, when the Army of Three Guarantees triumphantly marched into Mexico City.
Merchandise in green, white, and red (colors of the Mexican flag) fill store shelves, vendors ply the streets selling flags and tchotchkes, and patriotic displays decorate public and private buildings.
As for me, I’m jonesing for the season’s traditional dish of chiles en nogada. It’s been four years since I savored its complex combination of flavors and textures at Restaurante Catedral (photo above).
Posted in Animals, Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Bendición de los Animales, Blessing of Animals, Cats and dogs, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, Pet sterilization clinics, pets, photos, popular travel destinations, San Ramón de Nonato, street art, urban art, wall art on August 27, 2022| 7 Comments »
Over the past several years, one can’t help but notice that Oaxaca has become much more pet friendly.
In place of the formerly ubiquitous roof dogs menacingly peering down and barking at pedestrians, images of silent dogs and cats look out from walls along the sidewalks.
Veterinary offices have sprung up all over the city, dog walkers have become a “thing,” many businesses are placing water bowls outside their entrances, and restaurants are welcoming pets — cat photos that follow are from the mural outside La Selva de los Gatos Cat Cafe vegetarian restaurant.
Thanks to the efforts of various sterilization clinics in the valley, one doesn’t encounter nearly as many street dogs and feral cats.
If you are so inclined, Huellas de Ayuda Oaxaca and Teo Tails are a couple of clinics that could use financial and volunteer assistance.
Just look at these faces. What’s not to love?
Of course there is the occasional big cat.
And, not to be overlooked, armadillos are known to appear.
No matter the species of animal, on August 31, in celebration of the feast day of San Ramón Nonato, they can accompany their humans to be blessed at Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced at 4:00 PM. If years past are any indication, it should be a colorful and lively event.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, tagged Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Doña Marina, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Grupo de Promesa de la Danza de la Pluma 2022-2024, La Malinche, Mexico, Moctezuma, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on August 1, 2022| 6 Comments »
In Teotitlán del Valle, the dancers of the Danza de la Pluma (Feather dance), make a solemn commitment to their faith and to their community to dance for three years at each of the four major annual religious festivals in their village. 2022 brings a new group and the festival honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo the first of their public performances for the residents of their village and visitors. They dance four times during this festival — two half days and two full (7 hours) days.
July 5, 2022…
July 6, 2022…
On the superficial level, the Danza relates the story of the Conquest — the Spanish, Moctezuma, his allies, and Malinche/Doña Maria. But, as is the genius of art, it reaches into our hearts and souls and explores and communicates the truths we know and feel.
In 2022, they will dance again for Natividad de la Virgen María in September, Rosario de la Virgen María in October, and the Fiesta a la Virgen de Guadalupe on December 12.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, calendar of events, folkloric dance, Guelaguetza, List of delegations, Live streaming, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on July 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »
After a two-year hiatus, La Guelaguetza is back. Papel (actually, plastic) picado, in the colors of the rainbow, is draped over the streets, Tiliches (iconic participants at Carnaval in Putla de Guerrero and this year’s chosen image to represent Guelaguetza) are hanging around on sidewalks, walls, and rooftops, and the streets are filled with tourists, both foreign and domestic.
This morning, the dancing will begin at the Guelaguetza Auditorium on Cerro del Fortín. The list of delegations by date, time, and the dance they will be performing follows.
Please note, next Monday evening’s performance will include the previously mentioned Teotitlán del Valle, Danza de la Pluma Promesa 2022-2024. If you are not in Oaxaca or, like me, don’t have tickets, you can watch courtesy of CORTV via television, their website, and Facebook live.
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