Posted in Celebrations, Children, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged brides, children, Día del Padre, face painting, father of the bride, Father's Day, fathers and children, horses, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on June 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »
To all the fathers (biological and adoptive), stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and father figures everywhere, I wish you Happy Father’s Day as you continue sharing traditions…
teaching skills…
and, most of all, caring.
May you fulfill your most valuable role with great love, kindness, and respect.
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged artisans, Day of the Artisan, Day of the Folk Artists, Mexico, Night of the Radishes, Noche de Rábanos, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, radish carving, young artisans, young talent on March 19, 2024| 2 Comments »
March 19 is Day of the Artisans in Mexico. And so I say, ¡Feliz Día de las Artesanas y los Artesanos! — especially to the budding artists who are appreciating and learning to carry on folk art traditions.
Young artisans at work carving radishes on the morning of the 2023 Noche de Rabanos.
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Immigration, Travel & Tourism, tagged Amal en Oaxaca, calendas, Centro de Apoyo para Migrantes Universales Collin A.C., immigrants, La Pequeña Amal, Little Amal, Mexico, Oaxaca, parade, photos, popular travel destinations, puppets, refugees on November 29, 2023| 4 Comments »
Walking with Little Amal, known here as La Pequeña Amal, was a remarkable, moving, and hopeful experience. This 3.5 meter tall marionette, representing a 10-year old Syrian refugee girl searching for her mother, has traveled the world in her search — bringing a message of peace, respect, solidarity, and protection for all refugees.
At last Thursday’s calenda (parade), smiling school groups, some wearing traditional dress from the various regions of Oaxaca, held handmade signs proclaiming “Yes to peace no to war,” “Peace is achieved with love and understanding,” and for a “Life without borders.” Giant marmotas whirled, flashing messages of “Welcome” and “Amal, you are not alone” while a band played and China Oaxaqueña dancers danced their way down Oaxaca’s walking street. All the while, an amazingly lifelike Amal waved, shook hands, radiated with gratitude, and carried herself with dignity as she made her way from Santo Domingo to the Cathedral. I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes.
While in Oaxaca, Amal also visited Monte Albán to take in the spectacular archaeological zone, Santa María del Tule to try to hug the largest (in circumference) tree in the world, and 20 de noviembre market to receive a huge loaf of bread — a symbol of alleviating world hunger. Her last stop in Oaxaca was at Parque Morelos to bring her message of hope and support to the migrant families passing through Mexico on their way from Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua bound for the USA. It is in this park, a tireless group of volunteers from the non profit, Centro de Apoyo para Migrantes Universales Collin A.C., feed the unrelenting stream of refugees seven days a week. They also accept donations of clothing, blankets, backpacks, toiletries, and money. Click on their website for how and where to donate and/or to volunteer.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Padre, Father's Day, fathers and children, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, photos, popular travel destinations on June 18, 2023| 5 Comments »
To all the fathers and father figures, I wish you ¡Feliz Día del Padre!
May you find joy in your role and continue to share your wisdom, traditions, and love.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged celebrations, Children's Day, Día del Nino, festivals, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on April 30, 2023| 2 Comments »
The United Nations declared November 20 as World Children’s Day. However, that is Día de la Revolución in Mexico, thus in 1924, President Álvaro Obregó and Minister of Public Education José Vasconcelos designated April 30 as Día del Niño — the day Mexico celebrates and honors her children. Schools organize parties with games and treats, communities organize special activities, and parents may give their hijas and hijos gifts. However, one of the features of life in Oaxaca that I most appreciate is the way children are included all year round in celebrations.
“… the objective of this [Día del Niño] celebration is to dedicate a moment to understanding the child population, promoting their social inclusion and carrying out activities to promote their well-being and the rights to which they have access as human beings.” (Google translation from this article)
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Padre, Father's Day, fathers and children, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, photos, popular travel destinations, processions on June 19, 2022| 2 Comments »
Happy Father’s Day to all the loving fathers (biological and adoptive), stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, and father figures everywhere.
Parenting is the most valuable job you will ever have. May you fulfill your role with great love, care, and respect.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged children, Children Will Listen (song), Children's Day, coronavirus fallout, costumes, COVID-19 fallout, Day of the Child, Día del Nino, festivals, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, traje on April 30, 2020| 14 Comments »
Today in Mexico is Día del Niño (Day of the Child). However, this year, in the time of Covid-19, there will be no school parties, no large community gatherings, and, with no income for many, there will be fewer (if any) toys and treats given by parents. We all look forward to the days when we hear the sound of squeals and cheers coming from playgrounds, see children gathered with their friends laughing and talking, and again being a part of the traditional dances, parades, and celebrations. On this day as I was compiling this photo essay, I couldn’t get this song out of my head…
Children Will Listen
(sung by Bernadette Peters)
lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim
How do you say to your child in the night?
Nothing’s all black, but then nothing’s all white
How do you say it will all be all right
When you know that it might not be true?
What do you do?
Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say “Listen to me”
Children will listen
Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true, not free
Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen
How can you say to a child who’s in flight
“Don’t slip away and I won’t hold so tight”
What can you say that no matter how slight Won’t be misunderstood
What do you leave to your child when you’re dead?
Only whatever you put in its head
Things that your mother and father had said
Which were left to them too
Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do it too
Children will see
And learn, oh guide them that step away
Children will glisten
Tamper with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free
Careful before you say
“Listen to me”
Children will listen
Children will listen
Children will listen
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged dried corn husks, El Día De Los Reyes Magos, Epiphany, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Three Kings Day, Totomoxtle, toys, Wise Men on January 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Today Mexico is celebrating el Día de los Reyes Magos. Traditionally, it is the Three Kings — Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar — who bring gifts to children on Epiphany (aka, Twelfth Night — yes, that Twelfth Night).
Tres Reyes in totomoxtle (corn husks) – Noche de Rabanos 2012
According to Oaxaca Día a Día, over 5,000 toys have been donated by individuals, companies, public servants, the media, and the governmental DIF Oaxaca. 1.2 kilometers of dolls, balls, games, stuffed animals, and other toys line the Plaza de la Danza to be distributed today to disadvantaged school children.
By the way, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, events celebrating el Día de los Reyes Magos are also happening.
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Centro Cultural Comunitario de Teotitlán del Valle, Danza de la Pluma, Feather dance, Mexico, Oaxaca, penachos, photos, rugs, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle on August 22, 2019| 6 Comments »
Sunday, August 18, 2019, Teotitlán del Valle celebrated the first anniversary of their Centro Cultural Comunitario de Teotitlán del Valle (CCCTV). During the day-long event, not only was there food and music, the village also celebrated passing on of their cultural riches and traditions to upcoming generations.
The Cultural Center’s, Danza de la Pluma Infantil (youth Danza de la Pluma group) donned their costumes, gathered on the Municipal Plaza, and performed dances from this ritual retelling of the Conquest. (Check out the up close and personal photos by blogger buddy Chris.)
In the CCCTV, there was an exhibition of penachos/coronas (headdresses) used in the Danza de la Pluma that were crafted in a workshop by young people from the village.
“BaáGuiish” by Laura Ruiz Mendoza. Representing the four cardinal points to give thanks for each new day.
Detail of “Shia guibaa” by Jesús Brayan Jiménez Lazo.
“La cruz de Quetzalcóatl” by Juan Mendoza Bautista.
In addition, there was also an exhibition of tapetes (rugs) designed and woven by the young people of Teotitlán del Valle.
“El alma en manos de mi arte” by Omar Mendoza Martínez.
“Futuro Hermoso” by Constantino Lazo Martínez.
“Huitzilopochtli” by Anais Adelina Ruiz Martínez.
“Bineéty xunuax Xigie’ (Mujer Zapoteca) woven image of his grandmother by Mario González Pérez.
Celebrating and preserving the cultural riches of the Zapotec community of Teotitlán del Valle. Can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday. Dixeebe! Zapotec for ¡salud! cheers!
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged boys, canastas, children, convite, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, girls, Mexico, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on July 3, 2018| 5 Comments »
Late yesterday afternoon in Teotitlán del Valle — along with village officials, church committee members, 200 unmarried young women, Danza de la Pluma Promesa 2016-2018 dancers, players of the traditional teponaxtle (drum) and the chirimía (small oboe), pyrotechnicians, and two bands — children gathered.
Boys came holding carrizo poles topped with mini marmotas (fabric globes), sheep, turkeys, giraffes, airplanes, and other images whose significance escapes me — though this year Quetzalcoatl made an appearance.
Little girls came wearing miniature versions of the traditional red wool enredo (wrap skirt) and embroidered or crochet blouses.
They assembled in the atrium of the church for the start of the *convite (special kind of procession) honoring the Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, the patron saint of the village and whose image, attributed to Oaxacan painter Miguel Cabrera, resides in Teotitlán’s church.
The procession wound its way from the atrium, through the principal streets (mostly cobblestone) of the village, and back to the atrium — approximately two miles (3.2 km)!
Giving a group of boys long poles has the potential for high jinx, but most was limited to clever ways to evade overhanging tree limbs.
The littlest girls were beginning their years long conditioning in order to develop the arm strength needed to hold a canasta (basket) above their head for over an hour — SO much harder than it looks!
And, there were boys in the band — some already affecting a cool “Blues Brothers” look.
This was just the beginning of the festival — there will be the danzantes performing the Danza de la Pluma, fireworks (including toritos and castillos), and another convite. So, stay tuned for more to come.
*Convite: According to Harrap’s Spanish and English Pocket Dictionary, convite means reception. Larousse Standard Diccionario translates convite to “invitation” or “banquet.” And, if one turns to Google or Bing translation programs, a convite is a “treat.”
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Padre, Father's Day, fathers and children, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on June 17, 2018| 2 Comments »
Wishing a very happy Father’s Day to fathers, stepfathers, and father-figures throughout the world.
Parenting is the most valuable job you will ever have. May you fulfill your role with great love, care, and respect. And, may you never be separated from your children by the inhumane, unnecessary, and illegal action of a despotic government.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged children, Children's Day, costumes, Day of the Child, Día del Nino, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, traje on April 30, 2018| 3 Comments »
The United Nations declared November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. However, that is Día de la Revolución in Mexico, thus April 30 was designated Día del Niño — the day Mexico celebrates her children. Schools organize parties with games and treats, communities organize special activities, and parents may give their hijas and hijos gifts.
However, one of the features of life in Oaxaca that I appreciate most is the way children are welcomed and are included in all of the celebrations that I have had the privilege of attending — and that’s quite a few! Enjoy the following photos taken during the past year. (Click on an image for a full description of the event.)
¡Feliz Día del Niño! And parents everywhere, please remember to “teach your children well.”
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Museums, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged children's clothing, clothing, costumes, exhibits, Mexico, Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Textile Museum, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Textile Museum of Oaxaca, traje on April 18, 2018| 7 Comments »
It’s been all about boys in my family — two sons, a stepson, and a grandson. That is, until eleven months ago when finally a girl — my granddaughter — made her much welcomed entrance into the world. Of course she is adorable, but so were her brother, dad, and uncles. However, I must admit that clothes shopping for a little girl is so much more fun, especially here in Oaxaca.
Naturally, I had to go to the current Museo Textil de Oaxaca exhibition, Vestir hijos con amor (Dressing children with love) — very timely for the upcoming Día del Niño on April 30
Cotton baby hat – probably Santiago Mexquititlán, Querétaro, Mexico (c. 1960) Otomí village.
Woven baby hat – San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala (c. 1990s) Tz’utuoil community.
The curator’s note explains that the textiles shown “are not the sumptuous accoutrements of an ancient aristocracy, but children’s clothing of the poorest people in Mexico and Guatemala… made of cotton and wool.”
Girl’s huipil from Palín, Guatemala (c. 1980s). Community speaks Pokomam, a Mayan language.
Girl’s huipil from San Bartolomé Ayautla, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1950s) Mazateco community.
“In setting up this exhibit, we have tried to show how textiles intended for children make visible the love felt for them by the first nations of this land.”
Girl’s clothing from Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. (c. 1940s) Purépecha village.
Costume of baptism – Chachahuantla, Puebla, Mexico (1999-2017) Community speaks Náhuatl.
Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, Mexico (c. 1950s). Tsotsil village.
Huipil of black velvet with cotton embroidery from districts of Juchitán and Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1950-1960) Zapotec communities.
Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, Oaxaca, Mexico (c. 1990). Zapotec village.
Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, Oaxaca, Mexico (c. 1990). Zapotec village. Embroidery detail using rayon threads.
It isn’t just the girls who are dressed with love in these indigenous communities. The clothing of the boys is also just as lovingly detailed and decorated.
Boy’s clothing from San Andrés Tzicuilan, Puebla, Mexico. (c. 1988-1993) Community speaks Náhuatl.
Boy’s clothing from Santiago Ixtayutla, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1990s) Mixtec village.
(R) Boy’s clothing from Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, Mexico. (c. 1950s). Tsotsil village. (L) Teen boy’s clothing from Sierra Madre Occidental to the north of Jalisco and east of Nayarit. (c. 1930s) Wixárika (Huichol) community.
Detail from teen boy’s clothing from Sierra Madre Occidental to the north of Jalisco and east of Nayarit. (c. 1930s) Wixárika (Huichol) community.
There are so many more pieces to see and there is even an interactive component for children — a play area where they can assemble and decorate textile pieces. The Museo Textil de Oaxaca is located at Hidalgo 917, at the corner of Fiallo and the exhibition, in the Caracol room, runs until July 1, 2018.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged chess, Día de Reyes, El Día De Los Reyes Magos, Epiphany, los tres Reyes Magos, Magi, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Rosca de Reyes, Three Kings cake, Three Kings Day, toys, Wise Men on January 6, 2018| 2 Comments »
Though Santa Claus is making inroads into Mexico, it is today’s early morning visit by Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings, Wise Men) that children anxiously await, as it is Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar who bring gifts on January 6 — Día de los Reyes Magos (aka, Epiphany).
Yesterday, the municipal DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia) agency and radio station “La Zeta Noticias,” sponsored a kilometer of toys — an annual toy drive for Oaxaca’s disadvantaged children. More than 3000 toys were collected to be distributed in a number of city and surrounding area neighborhoods. (Alas, only a fraction of the one million plus, 0 – 17 year olds, living in poverty in the state of Oaxaca.)
Today, the Alameda and zócalo were filled with activities and freebies for kids. At the booth below, each child received a toy and a carton of milk.
San Antonio Arrazola and San Martín Tilcajete, the wood carving villages known for their fantastical alebrije, distributed paints, brushes, and paper for the artistically inclined.
There were chess boards set up to play this most serious of games.
And, the nacimiento (nativity scene) in the zócalo provided a popular “posing with the Tres Reyes” point.
In addition to kings bringing kids gifts, January 6 also calls for a special cake — Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings bread). Bakeries have been working overtime and temporary stalls were set up on a block of Calle Flores Magón — closing it to auto and truck traffic (though motorcycles were a different story).
Of course, I bought one — though not the large family-size above! The tradition is to eat and dunk in hot chocolate, but I opted to dunk in my usual half coffee/half chocolate morning beverage.
By the way, there is a plastic Niño Dios figurine hidden in each Rosca de Reyes, remembering Mary and Joseph concealing baby Jesus from King Herod. If you are the “lucky” person to bite into it, you must host a tamales and atole party on Candelaria (Candlemas), February 2nd.
Three Kings Day is drawing to a close and the kings are returning to from whence they came. I think Melchor is driving — hopefully he has GPS.
Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged children, convite, Juan Diego, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, photographs, photos, procession, Teotitlán del Valle, Virgin of Guadalupe on December 14, 2017| 6 Comments »
In Teotitlán del Valle, waiting for last Sunday’s convite, honoring the Virgen de Guadalupe, to begin.
Watching and waiting from the best seat in the house!
Waiting to process in the traditional red wool skirt and embroidered blouse.
Little boys waiting to lead off the procession.
Even a couple of little Juan Diego’s were ready and waiting.
The patience of the people of Oaxaca, even the kids, never ceases to amaze me.
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