Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

In darkness and silence

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2013| 8 Comments »

The Semana Santa poster said the Viernes Santo (Good Friday) Procesión del Silencio was to begin at 6 PM in front of .  Knowing the drill, I arrived at 4:45 to take photos as contingents and participants arrived — but nobody was there.  The old antiwar slogan, “What If They Gave a War and Nobody Came” came to mind.

Of course it was going to happen, it’s just that time isn’t what it seems here. Word on the scene had it that, despite the poster info, it wasn’t to begin until 6:30 PM.  No worries!  Well, except that Mexico doesn’t begin Daylight Saving Time until next weekend, the light began rapidly fading, and 6:30 PM became 7 PM.  Por favor, let Oaxaca’s 27th annual Parade of Silence begin!

Señor de Esquipulas during the Procession of Silence, Good Friday 2013

And it eventually did — up Macedonio Alcalá, left at the Cruz de Piedra, left again on García Vigil to Independencia, another left, and back up the Alcalá.  And so, in darkness and silence the procession returned to the church where it all began.  Contingents could be heard late into the night parading through the streets of the city, as they returned the Jesuses and Marías to their respective home churches.

Lots more photos can be seen over at Oaxaca-The Year After.

Read Full Post »

Penitent portraits

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In Oaxaca the penitents gathered…

Purple hooded penitent

in front of Preciosa Sangre de Cristo on Good Friday…

3 black hooded penitents

preparing for the Procession of Silence.

Purple hoods behind black hooded penitent

For those who are wondering, “What’s with the hoods (capirotes)?”  The answer can be traced back to the Middle Ages.  Members of lay religious charitable organizations (cofradías) would don the masks and hoods to guarantee anonymity and promote humility in their service.

From the Holy Week in Seville, Wikipedia page:

At the heart of Semana Santa are the brotherhoods (Hermandades y Cofradías de Penitencia),[1] associations of Catholic laypersons organized for the purpose of performing public acts of religious observance; in this case, related to the Passion and death of Jesus Christ and to perform public penance.

The brotherhoods, besides the day-to-day work in preparation for the processions, also undertake many other self-regulated religious activities, and charitable and community work. Many brotherhoods maintain their own chapel, while others are attached to a regular parish.

The Spanish brought the tradition to Mexico and penitents continue to play a major role in the Viernes Santo, Procesión del Silencio in Oaxaca.

Read Full Post »

Woman, behold your son

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

And so Viernes Santo (Good Friday) began…

Mass said, a Vía Crucis (Stations of the Cross) procession through the streets of my neighborhood.

Read Full Post »

Lunes Santo in Teotitlán del Valle

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 26, 2013| 4 Comments »

Lunes Santo (Holy Monday) in Teotitlán del Valle provided another moving and memorable experience.  For some unknown reason, the village re-enacts the 14 stations of the cross on the Monday before Easter.  Following a special early morning mass at the Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary are hoisted on platforms and carried from the church to signal the start of the day-long pilgrimage.  They are led by a band playing a mournful and dissonant tune as they set off to wind their way through the cobblestone streets of Teotitlán.

“Stations” are set up along the route by designated families — some are decorated with the village’s famous woolen tapetes (rugs).  Tamales, non alcoholic beverages (alcohol, even the ubiquitous mezcal, is forbidden during Semana Santa), and nieves (ices) are offered at others.  At all, the appropriate prayers are read, incense of copal is burned, and offerings, including of corn and lilies, are made.  And, as always, children have important roles to play.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The procession is solemn and dignified and filled with pre-Columbian, along with Catholic, tradition and symbolism.  Like all the other ritual celebrations in Teotitlán del Valle, these are not performed for the benefit of tourists — they are some of the strands of the warp and weft that have woven this community together for thousands of years.

Read Full Post »

Palms for Palm Sunday

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2013| 10 Comments »

In front of Oaxaca’s Cathedral, the Palm weavers from the Mixteca have been practicing their craft with awesome dexterity, creativity, and skill.

All is ready for Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday).

Read Full Post »

To everything a season…

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Gardens, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2013| 3 Comments »

Do you remember December’s abandoned building that artist Mauricio Cervantes transformed into Hope amidst decay with his El Sueño de Elpis?  Bringing together artists, gardeners, and community members, he is again working his magic at Casa del SXIX.  Honoring sustainability and reuse, Matria, Jardín Arterapéutico is a year-long multidisciplinary installation that will grow and change with the seasons.

Appropriately, on the first day of Spring — the season of rebirth, resurrection, and renewal — I was invited to wander through the site and watch as life was emerging from the decay.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Primavera, the beginning phase of Matria, Jardín Arterapéutico will be revealed to all on Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 PM.  The building can be found at Murguía 103 (between Macedonio Alcalá and 5 de mayo).

Read Full Post »

The good samaritans of Oaxaca

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

You know Semana Santa is on the horizon when tables, large and small, elaborately or minimally decorated, miraculously appear in doorways, street corners, and the Alcalá.  The common denominator is smiling people offering Agua de Jamaica, Horchata, Chilacayota, and even nieves to all passers-by.  Día de la Samaritana (Good Samaritan Day) is an only-in-Oaxaca, 4th Friday of Lent, event.

This year, besides experiencing the joyous mob scene on the Alcalá and the small sidewalk stands on side streets, on a tip from a friend, I made the “taking your life in your hands” crossing of Calzado de la República to the picturesque cobblestoned neighborhood of Jalatlaco.  Tables of aguas and nieves lined the plaza in front of the Templo de San Matías Jalatlaco and pastor Víctor Hernández was recounting the Biblical story, found in the Book of John, of the woman at the well who offered water to Jesus — the inspiration for Día de la Samaritana.  He concluded the story and blessing with the word “¡ataque!” and the masses did, indeed, attack the tables!  By the way, pastor Hernández gets around — he was the same priest who performs the yearly blessing of the animals across town at the Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced.

It was a hot day and having already had two aguas, as I made my way over to Jalatlaco, I was jonesing for a nieve but, alas, by the time I figured out which table was serving it, the line was too long.  So, giving up on the nieve, I accepted another agua and headed towards home.  However, in the true spirit of the day, as I was melting in the heat, an older gentleman standing on the sidewalk asked if I would like a nieve and gestured toward a woman standing in the doorway behind a small table.  “Sí” I replied and a styrofoam coffee cup filled with Leche Quemada (my favorite) was thrust into my hand.  Another sublime day in Oaxaca…

Read Full Post »

I scream 4 ice cream

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Weather, tagged , , , , , , , on March 13, 2013| 4 Comments »

It may be March, but Oaxaca is doing May weather — daytime temperatures in the high 80s/low 90s and the nights are sheets only.

I scream, you scream…

Ice cream cone painted on wall

Even the walls scream for ice cream!

Read Full Post »

Living close to the source

Posted in Agriculture, Creativity, Culture, People, Science & Nature, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 10, 2013| 5 Comments »

A mile or two from the city are fields of corn; a recurring reminder of where the masa used to make tortillas, tamales, and other mealtime staples, comes from.  Livestock roam the hills and are often seen being herded down the streets of local villages.

Goats being herded down dirt road

And, at the foot of the stairs of my new apartment is a coyuche bush — the brown cotton plant that has been cultivated in this part of the world for thousands of years.

P1050618

The ripe buds of the coyuche have been harvested, cleaned, spun, and woven into huipiles and cotones (men’s shirts) by countless generations.  However, like many textile traditions, industrialization has taken its toll.  The cultivation and use of coyuche is literally hanging by a thread, mostly confined to the Mixteca and Costa Chica regions of Oaxaca.  As a result, besides just liking the design and color, I have a profound appreciation for and treasure this old huipil that was given to me a couple of years ago.

Embroidery detail of huipil made of coyuche

It’s in desperate need of repair.  My friend and Mexican textile collector and chronicler, Sheri Brautigam, advised me to take it to Odilon Merino Morales, who is from San Juan Amuzgo and leads an effort to revive the use of coyuche.  I will ask him if he knows of someone who could give my huipil some tender loving mending.

Living close to the source — there is something wonderful about the coyuche plant’s daily reminder of the origin of one of my favorite huipiles.

Read Full Post »

Holding up half the sky

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2013| 1 Comment »

Today is International Women’s Day…

Mural on the wall outside the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Delegación Oaxaca, on Heroico Colegio Militar in Col. Reforma.

¡Feliz el Día Internacional de la Mujer!

Read Full Post »

Shadows on the wall

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2013| 4 Comments »

Wall art with painted shadow of stoplight

Can be found at…

Street signs: Call de Melchor Ocampo and Calle de La Noria

Read Full Post »

Ya just never know…

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 4, 2013| 9 Comments »

Yesterday was another of the “ya just never know…” days.  Returning to the city from Xoxocotlán after looking at the house my (soon-to-be-former) neighbor is building, the taxi driver pointed down Independencia and said something that we interpreted as, “day of the garbage collector.”  So, instead of going home, my camera and I walked in the direction he pointed and, sure enough, a side street was lined with decorated garbage trucks.

decorated garbage trucks

P1050470

P1050473

However, this day wasn’t for just any old garbage collectors; being March 3rd, it celebrated the founding of the Sindicato Independiente 3 de Marzo of the municipality of Oaxaca.  Depending on which newspaper report one reads, it is either the 34th, 38th, or 39th anniversary.

Marmota with banner

These are the city workers who keep the state’s capital clean — the garbage collectors, street sweepers, drivers, and laborers.  And, the city of Oaxaca IS clean, putting San Francisco to shame!  After a Thanksgiving mass, most of the 1,200 “trabajadores de limpia” and their families filled the plaza in front of the Basilica de la Soledad.  And, like all good Oaxacan celebrations, there were monos, dancers, marmotas, bands, toritos, and the whistles, whirrs, and booms of fireworks (of the all bang, no bling variety).

P1050502

P1050519

P1050499

P1050491

P1050487

So, now you know where to be and what to do next March 3rd!

Read Full Post »

Sacred and precious

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It’s the dry season, no rain in a couple of months, and we are reminded how sacred and precious water is.

Wave and rain shower painted on wall

At the top of the wave:

“Fluye hermana agua de las nubes a la tierra y de la tierra a las nubes.”  (Sister water flowing from the clouds to earth and from the earth to the clouds.) 

A line from the poem, Oración al sagrado elemento agua.

Read Full Post »

Sign of the times

Posted in Churches, Creativity, Culture, People, Religion, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Today, Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic church rode off into the sunset.  (Actually, he flew off in a helicopter.)  And, naturally, the walls of Oaxaca had something to say…

Black and white skeleton portrait of pope

This was pasted on a wall right across from the south entrance to Santo Domingo de Guzmán.  The walls are never silent.

By the way, I did a Twitter search for the hashtag afterPopequit, but came up empty.

Read Full Post »

Flying on the ground

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The little Embraer may have touched down in Oaxaca late Saturday night but, in the words of a long ago Buffalo Springfield song, I’m still “flying on the ground.”

Mural on the wall outside Academia de Arte Musical in Oaxaca.

Mural on the wall outside Academia de Arte Musical in Oaxaca.

Moving two days before a California and New York trip…  What was I thinking?

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »