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Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category

All in a day’s hike

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , on May 4, 2013| 7 Comments »

Yesterday (May 3) was Día de la Santa Cruz and in Mexico it is the feast day of construction workers.  Crosses are erected on building sites and decorated.  The tradition has its origins with the guilds during the colonial era.

However, in Teotitlán del Valle, tradition calls for hiking up to the top of El Picacho.  A tall aqua colored wooden cross stands at the top of the peak.

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There were two crosses, but apparently one was hit by lightning a week or two ago.  It lies in splintered pieces below where it stood.

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Mountain and custom beckoned, and so we headed out to Teotitlán yesterday morning to climb the mountain.  The trek began and our eyes were on the prize as we passed by irrigated fields…

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Along the steep and winding trail, there were signs…

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in Zapoteco.

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Bromeliads and other epiphytes clung to branches.

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All along the way, the views were spectacular.

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As we climbed, grew smaller and smaller.

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And, our destination grew closer and closer.

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Almost two hours later (we stopped a lot!), we encountered the tethered burros that brought the tamales, aguas, and cervesas that awaited us at the top.

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Besides sustenance, there were fireworks…

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and expansive and even more spectacular views.

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There were parents, teens, toddlers, abuelos…

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and abuelas.

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Muchisimas gracias to the people of Teotitlán del Valle, who never fail to warmly welcome us and, again, generously offered us food and drink.

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They are very special people who live in a very special place.

FYI:  The trip down took less than an hour, I returned home exhausted, sore, sunburned (even though I’d slathered on sunscreen), and thoroughly exhilarated.

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Carnaval, desaturated

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 10, 2013| 4 Comments »

Sometimes color seems like a distraction, so an experiment in de-saturation from the last day of Carnaval in Teotitlán del Valle.

The eyes have it
Dancing the jarabe is serious
Something in the way she moves
I’m coming, darlings
Shouldering a basket of offerings
Let me think about it
A jumble of offerings
The women watch
Shade, por favor
Bringing the xicapextle
Bucket full of blessings
Viejos with snake on a cane

For some outstanding up-close and full color photos, head over to Oaxaca-The Year After.

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Carnaval, el último día

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2013| 3 Comments »

Friday we returned for another extraordinary day — the last day of Carnival.

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Again, muchisimas gracias to the gracious and generous people of Teotitlán del Valle.

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Carnaval, el primer día

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 6, 2013| 2 Comments »

I’m playing catch-up with blog posts.  After the Good Friday Procession of Silence, I thought life would slow down a little.  That’s what’s happened in years past — I caught up on the “to do” list on the home-front, leisurely plowed through the hundreds and hundreds of photos from Semana Santa, did a little research and a lot of thinking about what I’d just seen and experienced, and then crafted a few blog posts.

That was before we found out that Teotitlán del Valle celebrates 5-days of Carnival after Easter, not before Lent!  A little levity after the solemnity of Semana Santa and in one of our favorite places was not to be resisted.  And so, blogger buddy Chris and I set out on Monday afternoon in search of the house in Sección 1 (the village is divided into 5 geographic areas) that was hosting the daytime fiesta that precedes the evening festivities in the Municipal Plaza.

Chihuahua #1
Chihuahua # 1 & 2
A few of the guys in the band
Our hosts and hostesses
Viejo #1
Viejo #2
Who is that masked man?
Oh, what a devil!
Watching the hilarity at the house
Viejos on parade
Joining the procession
Always mezcal!
Watching at the Municipal Plaza
Another masked man & woman(?)
Viejo presenting poleo to munical officials

We returned yesterday for the Sección 5 fiesta, so more to come.  Now it’s off to Tlacolula for the Nieve, Mezcal y Gastronomia Festival.

FYI:  For a more detailed explanation of this Carnival celebration and photos from last year by a professional photographer, check out Ann Murdy’s website.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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…

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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.

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Kings and kids

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 6, 2013| 1 Comment »

Today, Mexico is celebrating Día de Reyes (aka, Three Kings Day and Epiphany).  It is this morning, not Christmas, that children wake up to find gifts brought during the night not by Santa Claus, but by the Magi.

Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar have had plenty of time and places to shop.  Several days before December 25, in the aisles of my local supermarket, toys had already replaced Christmas decorations.  Llano Park was turned into Oaxaca’s version of a pop-up Toys R Us.  Puestos (stalls) filled the park, selling everything from dolls to sports equipment, balloons to books, and even something for the family dog.  There were (dicey looking) carnival rides and food stalls offering the usual bounty of street food and the traditional Rosca de Reyes.

And, that’s not all!  Early last night, there was a giant festival in the Plaza de la Danza, to entertain and distribute a kilometer of donated toys to disadvantaged children.  Stay tuned…

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Christmas Eve magic in Oaxaca

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 27, 2012| 6 Comments »

Zócalo teeming with young, old, and all ages in between… vendors, Oaxaqueños, tourists from Mexico and the world beyond.  Streets filled with vehicles… parked, double parked, stopped, or moving at a snail’s pace to the shrill sound of transit police whistles.  Posadas converging on the zócalo… fireworks, bands, Marys and Josephs and baby Jesus, candles, angels, monos and marmotas, dancers, sparklers, and an overwhelming abundance of peace and joy and goodwill toward all.

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Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) magic in Oaxaca.

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Noche buena wishes

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Music, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 24, 2012| 3 Comments »

The rabanos, danzantes, and I wish a happy holidays to all…

Photos from Noche de Rabanos.   And, my rapidly becoming a Christmas Eve blog tradition…

Pancho Claus

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through la casa
Not a creature was stirring, Caramba! ¿Que pasa?

Los ninos were all tucked away in their camas,
Some in vestidos and some in pajamas.
While Mama worked late in her little cocina,
El viejo was down at the corner cantina.

The stockings were hanging con mucho cuidado,
In hopes that St. Nicholas would feel obligado
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
A Nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard, there arouse such a grito,
That I jumped to my feet, like a frightened cabrito.

I went to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world, do you think que era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came, and this little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre.

¡Ay, Pancho! ¡Ay, Pepe! ¡Ay, Cuca! ¡Ay, Beto!
¡Ay, Chato! ¡¡Ay, Chopo! ¡Maruca and ¡Nieto!

Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala.

He filled the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the children had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud and seeming contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim and this is VERDAD,
Merry Christmas to all, And to All ¡Feliz Navidad!

Ernie Villarreal’s version of the song, Pancho Claus, by Chicano music legend, Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero.

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Nativity not trees

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 22, 2012| 6 Comments »

Although Christmas trees are making inroads, in Oaxaca it is the nacimiento de navidad (nativity scene) that is the omnipresent symbol of Christmas.  Unique and personal, they are seen everywhere; the zócalo, homes, hotel lobbies, store windows, and every kind of business you can think of!

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And, yes, this “spiritual but not religious” gringa couldn’t resist a miniature woven straw one of her own. It’s a work of art!

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Soledad pulling an all-nighter

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Food, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2012| 5 Comments »

As yesterday’s post reported, fireworks late Monday night heralded the feast day of La Virgen de la Soledad, the patron saint of Oaxaca. P1030476

However, that was far from the end of the nocturnal tale.  At the stroke of midnight, only an hour after the snaps, crackles, and pops had ended, and when I had finally drifted off to sleep, the bells of the Basilica began a frenzied pealing.  They were immediately joined by repeated rocket explosions, and the unmistakable sounds of a tuna band; at 2 AM bells, rockets, and mariachis; at 4 AM more bells, rockets, music, AND a procession winding its way through the streets of the city; its sounds ebbing and flowing for  almost two hours.

At 6 AM, I gave up attempting sleep, threw on jeans, shoes, and a sweatshirt (didn’t even bother to wash my face or brush my teeth — don’t tell anybody), grabbed my camera, and headed over to the Basilica.  What a sight!!!

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The Plaza de la Danza was covered with food stalls offering barbacoa, molotes, empanadas, tacos, buñuelas, hot chocolate, breads, and pastries — the best of Oaxaca street food.  And, they were all open!

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On the Basilica’s plaza, the Banda Auténticos (from San Andrés Huayapam) was playing…

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Dancers were dancing…

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People were just waking up…

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Vendors were selling roses and bouquets of herbs…

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And, ubiquitous twig brooms (escobas de otate) waited to sweep-up the detritus from Soledad and friends pulling an all-nighter.

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After a breakfast of barbacoa (chivo) and hot chocolate, I walked back home.  Sleep deprived or not, it was a great morning!

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