In front of Preciosa Sangre de Cristo Templo on Viernes Santo (Good Friday), waiting for the Procesión del Silencio (Procession of Silence) to set off up the Álcala, down Garcia Vigil, and back up the Álcala to Sangre de Cristo.
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Holidays | Tagged Christianity, culture, Good Friday, Mexico, Oaxaca, photo, photographs, Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Procesión del Silencio, Procession of Silence, religion, Viernes Santo | 6 Comments »
Yesterday, under a full moon…
and clutching our “pan bendito” (blessed bread), we began our pilgrimage. Jueves Santo (Holy/Maundy Thursday) tradition calls for visiting 7 churches (la visita de las siete casas) in the city with one’s pan bendito, which must be kept to offer to guests, should any grace our doorstep. This all relates back to Jesus’s Last Supper, which this date commemorates.
First stop was the nearby Templo de San José, where palm fronds were also distributed and believers used them to brush up and down the statue of Jesus. Hands also ran down his legs and then were used to touch one’s face.
After emerging from the side door of the jam-packed church, we set off for Templo de San Felipe Neri (whose picturesque dome can be seen (left of center) on my blog banner-head).
Next stop was Carmen Abajo…
followed by the far right side chapel of the La Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. A plaque at the entrance of the chapel read, “El maestro esta aqui y te llama” (The teacher is here and calls you) and the multitude seemed to be heeding the call.
We then strolled across the zócalo to the Jesuit, Templo de la Compañía de Jesus.
We changed direction and headed north up the Álcala. Big mistake! A mosh pit (Chris, this WAS a mosh pit) surrounding a Tuna band that was playing in the middle of the street, causing gridlock and bringing us to an abrupt stop. Eventually, following our blocker (my son, the lineman would be proud), we eventually found light and continued up to Preciosa Sangre de Cristo Templo, where we had earlier spent 1-1/2 hours (and it was still going on when we left!) at a mass where the priest reenacted Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.
Strolling across the Álcala to Santo Domingo was much less challenging. The aisle to Santo Domingo’s main altar was blocked and we were routed to a side chapel. Hurray, we did it — this made seven churches visited!
However, though bleary-eyed (as evidenced by the photo below), we opted for just one more, Carmen Alto.
Home beckoned… and sleep came easily under the watch of the moon, now appropriately encircled by a halo.
Posted in Buildings, Celebrations, Churches, Holidays | Tagged Carmen Abajo, Carmen Alto, Cathedral, Christianity, full moon, Holy Week, Jueves Santo, La catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Maundy Thursday, Mexico, Oaxaca, pan bendito, photo, photographs, Preciosa Sangre de Cristo Templo, religion, Santo Domingo, Semana Santa, Templo de la Compañía de Jesus, Templo de San Felipe Neri, Templo de San José | 1 Comment »
Palm Sunday also brought us to the village of Santiago Apóstol and one of my favorite painted churches.
This beautiful facade was hidden behind a stage, presumably set up for outdoor masses during Semana Santa.
We weren’t the only ones who negotiated the dusty back roads out of San Antonino Castillo Velasco; Señor del Burrito was already there when we arrived. Apparently, he knew a shortcut!
Inside the empty church (pews had been moved outside), amidst the smoky incense filled haze, the ethereal voices of these women transported us…
This wasn’t the first time we had been enchanted in Santiago Apóstol. During Días de muertos, the entire Panteón is whitewashed and filled with an explosion of red, orange, yellow, and magenta flowers.
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Holidays | Tagged culture, Domingo de Palmas, Holy Week, Mexico, Palm Sunday, photo, photographs, religion, Santiago Apóstol, Señor del Burrito, Semana Santa | 3 Comments »
Yesterday, I spent another magical day with friends in San Antonino Castillo Velasco (about 23 miles/1 hour from the the city). It was Domingo de Palmas (Palm Sunday) and San Antonino celebrates in its own unique, warm, and welcoming way.
Townspeople gather in the cemetery to decorate the “Señor del Burrito” with fruit, vegetables, flowers, and everything they sell or grow during the year. In addition, livestock (goats, chickens, pigs, etc.), more foodstuffs, flowers, etc. are gathered and priced. The pastor of the parish church arrives to bless the “Lord of the Little Burro” and offerings. Palm crosses are distributed, all are invited to help carry the offerings to the church, 10-12 men hoist the burro (now laden up to his neck and weighing who knows what!), and a procession to the church commences, lead by a fast-tempo drum beat and punctuated by shouts warning the men carrying “Señor del Burrito” of upcoming topes (speed bumps) and telephone wires, which must be navigated.
At the church, “Señor del Burrito” has an honored place in the courtyard and the offerings are gathered and arranged. Many then attend an hour-long mass inside the church, while others partake in yummy amarillo and pork empanadas, taste mezcal, and browse the wares of the artisan booths. By the way, at least two of the “maestros” from the new, previously mentioned, book, Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular de Oaxaca were present: Familia García Mendoza (ceramics) and Antonina Cornelio, who makes the exquisitely embroidered clothing typical of San Antonino Castillo Velasco (and seen in one or two of the photos above). Following the mass, the offerings are sold, with the proceeds going to an orphanage in the village.
Muchisimas gracias to the people of San Antonino Castillo Velasco for being so gracious and allowing us to share this special day with them.
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays | Tagged Christianity, culture, Domingo de Palmas, Holy Week, Mexico, offerings, palm crosses, Palm Sunday, photo, photographs, religion, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Semana Santa | 7 Comments »
Mazunte was the first beach on Oaxaca’s coast I visited. The beach is stunningly beautiful and uncrowded and accommodations lean toward the small and environmentally conscious.
In addition to the appeal of the warm clear waters of its beach and digging your feet in the sand as you dine on fresh fish tacos, Mazunte is home to the Natural Cosmetics Cooperative, established by Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop. The cooperative’s products (soaps, lotions, oils, mosquito repellent, etc.) are available in the city of Oaxaca at the weekly Friday/Saturday Organic Market in the plaza of Santo Tomás in the Xochimilco neighborhood.
Mazunte also houses the National Mexican Turtle Center, whose successful work is the subject of Tim Johnson’s recent blog post, Turtle Hatchlings Head for the Sea.
Posted in Animals, Environment, Health, Nature & Science | Tagged Anita Roddick, Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, Cosmeticos Mazunte, Mazunte, Mexico, National Mexican Turtle Center, Natural Cosmetics Cooperative, Oaxaca, Tim Johnson, turtle hatchlings, turtles | 3 Comments »
Today, the 6th Friday of Lent, is El Día de la Virgen de Dolores, the Virgin of Sorrows.
Altars have been set-up in courtyards and businesses around town, including this one at Hotel Las Mariposas (butterflies).
It commemorates the pain suffered by the Virgin Mary on the death of her son.
By the way, note the “chia pets.” This is where the US entrepreneur originally got the idea in the late 1970s for the terracotta animal figurines planted with Salvia Hispanica.
Tonight, I’m headed to a special Día de la Virgen de Dolores program, including a concert of sacred music performed by the Coro de la Ciudad (chorus of the city of Oaxaca), at the Templo del Carmen Bajo.
(ps) Ooops! Apparently, the concert is tomorrow night.
Posted in Celebrations, Holidays | Tagged altar, animal figurines, Chia Pets, Día de la Virgén de Dolores, Mexico, Oaxaca, Our Lady of Sorrows, photos, popular travel destinations, virgen de dolores, Virgin of Sorrows | Leave a Comment »
In Coyoacán, Federal District of Mexico City…
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas…
And Oaxaca…
The zeros have it!
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged buildings, Chiapas, Coyoacán, Federal District, Mexico, Mexico City, numbers, Oaxaca, San Cristóbal de las Casas, street numbers | Leave a Comment »
After a delightful, but cold and wet (4-6″ of hail!) textile intensive 6-day visit to Chiapas, I’m homeward (as in, Oaxaca) bound!
I promise not to ever again complain about Oaxaca’s sun-filled dry season!
Posted in Creativity | Tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, street art, wall art | 1 Comment »
For a whole variety of reasons, this is so appropriate not just here, but…
all over the world…
And, given the current war on women’s hard won reproductive rights, it’s especially pertinent during this “election” season in the USA.
Silence does indeed kill!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics | Tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, street art, wall art, women, women's rights | 5 Comments »
As someone who spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area and has experienced a fair share of earthquakes, including the deadly Loma Prieta quake in 1989, I think the Mexican government seems to take warning it’s population more seriously — placing a higher value on preventing the loss of life, in the case of earthquakes, than the powers-that-be in el Norte.
Though I didn’t hear the early warning siren in Oaxaca for Tuesday’s 7.4 earthquake (or, perhaps I wasn’t tuned in to what it was), I did hear it for a couple of aftershocks.
By the way, I arrived in Chiapas yesterday morning, and the talk is about the highly publicized drill that was conducted statewide, with sirens blaring, only minutes before our 7.4 terremoto hit.
Why California Lacks an Earthquake Warning System Like Mexico’s (via The Bay Citizen)
Early alerts gave people time to go to safe areas before large quake hit By John Upton, Matt Smith on March 22, 2012 – 5:43 p.m. PDT Alicia Montiel Rodriguez was in an office building in southern Mexico City Tuesday when alarms began to sound, piercing the air with beeping tones and recorded messages…
Posted in Nature & Science, Science & Nature | Tagged California, early warning system, earthquake, Mexico, Oaxaca, terremoto | 1 Comment »
With all the excitement about yesterday’s earthquake, I didn’t even notice the south wing of the infamous Guelaguetza auditorium velaria (cover) had been removed.
According to an article in yesterday’s Noticias, the central cover will be reinforced and remain through July’s annual Guelaguetza performances. After that??? The fate of the velaria is up in the air. 😉
And, yes, the sky is that blue today!
Posted in Buildings | Tagged Guelaguetza Auditorium, Mexico, Oaxaca, velaria | Leave a Comment »
…under my feet. Well, actually I didn’t feel the 7.4 terremoto (earthquake) about noon today. I heard it! I was walking up the Álcala and the windows on one of the university buildings started rattling and people began pouring into the streets, murmuring “un terremoto, un terremoto!”
The above photo was taken from above the Plaza de la Danza, outside the Palacio Municipal, about a half an hour after the initial shake and shortly before sirens went off and a 5.0 aftershock struck — which I also didn’t feel!
I continued on with my shopping and when I passed by the Palacio Municipal again, the media was all over the place, and more press conferences out on the sidewalk were being conducted. The fellow above is from the Proteccíon Civil Municipal of Oaxaca. The fellow below was speaking about the schools.
Though there is concern for the rural villages closer to the epicenter, currently all is well in the city. And one of the members of the municipal police force assured me the daughter of “my” president was fine.
Posted in Buildings, Nature & Science, Parks & Plazas, Weather | Tagged earthquake, Mexico, Oaxaca, press conferences, terremoto | 4 Comments »
Last night, if she is still in town, Malia got to experience one of Oaxaca’s dramatic rain storms. The circulation of high pressure over the Southeast of the country, interacting with moisture from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, resulted in a 1-2 hour (I lost track of time) torrential downpour and Mother Nature’s own spectacular sound and light show.
Glowing Templo de San José last night, as sheets of rain bounced off the dome.
This was a welcome relief, as we are in the middle of the dry season, and my rooftop garden is extremely happy. However, along with the usual flooding and sporadic power outages, newspapers are reporting 10 homes were damaged by the heavy winds and rain in Ocotlán and a Jacaranda tree fell on an unoccupied parked car in the city.
Posted in Buildings, Weather | Tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, rain, rain storms, Templo de San José, thunderstorm, weather | Leave a Comment »
Sheesh, what is it about my friend, L??? Last year she arrived for her first visit to Oaxaca on the same day Mexican president Felipe Calderón was in town. This year, she is arriving Tuesday night and… guess who is in town?
Malia Obama, older daughter of U.S. president Barack Obama, is spending spring break here! Along with 12 friends and a 25 person security detail, she arrived Friday night, on the regular United/Continental Houston to Oaxaca flight, that most of the gringos who live here are very familiar with.
photo from Zócalo Saltillo
So that’s why all the federales, various other police forces, and people with cameras on the Álcala, yesterday…
According to reports, in addition to sights around the city, the group will see the famous El Tule (tree), the archaeological sites of Mitla and Monte Alban, the black pottery village of San Bartolo Coyotepec, and the wood carving village of San Martín Tilcajete.
This is exceptionally good news for Oaxaca and I’m not the only gringo blogger living here to be posting this news; most of us are doing it for the same reason — to let our readers know, Oaxaca is SAFE. So, come on down!!!
Posted in People | Tagged Malia Obama, Mexico, Oaxaca, spring break | 1 Comment »
David Rovics singing “Saint Patrick’s Battalion,” a song celebrating the Irish who deserted and fought alongside the Mexican army against the United States during the Mexican American War, 1846-1848.
Want to learn more?
- Batallón de San Patricio: the Irish Heroes of Mexico by Martín Paredes
- Saint Patrick’s Battalion from Wikipedia
- One Man’s Hero feature film directed by Lance Hool and starring Tom Berenger
h/t Dave W.
Posted in History, Music | Tagged Batallón de San Patricio, Mexican American War, Mexico, St. Patrick's Battalion, St. Patrick's Day | 1 Comment »
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