The weather was picture perfect for the last Sunday of summer morning walk.
And now, we welcome autumn.
Posted in Buildings, Flora, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Jardín Conzatti, Mexican flag, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Teatro Macedonio Alcalá on September 22, 2020| 9 Comments »
The weather was picture perfect for the last Sunday of summer morning walk.
And now, we welcome autumn.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, Día de la Independencia, Government Palace, Grito de Dolores, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Niños Héroes de Chapultepec, Oaxaca, Palacio de Gobierno, patriotic decorations, photos, popular travel destinations, street vendors on September 15, 2020| 4 Comments »
While flags are flying, bunting is up, and carts are selling the usual green, white, and red patriotic paraphernalia, it’s not your usual Mexican Independence celebrations.
It is the night before Independence Day, but there are no crowds gathered in the zócalo to hear the governor re-create the Grito de Dolores from the balcony of the Government Palace. Tomorrow there will be no patriotic parade through the streets of the city of Oaxaca. Mexican Independence celebrations during the time of Covid-19.
However, there is a song from Lila Downs…
(ps) The flags above are flying at half staff because the photos were taken on September 13, 2020, the day Mexico commemorates the legend of the 1847 Niños Héroes — boy cadets martyred during the Mexican-American war.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Mes de la Patria, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street vendors on September 9, 2016| 4 Comments »
Mexico’s El Mes de la Patria (the month of the homeland) is upon us and overnight, as August turned to September, the streets erupted in green, white, and red.
Mexico celebrates September 16, 1810 as the beginning of its fight for independence from Spain.
Flags are flying everywhere and are for sale on every other street corner, along with all manner of patriotic tchotkes.
From buses in the city to moto-taxis in the villages, everything is decked out in the green, white, and red of the Mexican flag.
As for Oaxaca? The five-month renovation project at Mercado Benito Juárez has been completed and vendors have moved from their temporary stalls on the surrounding streets back into the market; Sección 22 teachers have returned to their classrooms and 80% of the encampment in the zócalo has been disassembled; the governor will give his final Grito de DoloresGrito de Dolores at 11:00 PM on September 15th; and the annual patriotic parade will fill the streets of the Historic District with participants and observers on the 16th.
Posted in Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged castillo, El Grito, el grito de dolores, Government Palace, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence, Mexican War of Independence, Mexico, Oaxaca, Palacio de Gobierno, photographs, photos, zócalo on September 15, 2014| 7 Comments »
My morning caller flew the coop and so did I. After being confined to quarters for the past several days due to the rain and gloom, I walked downtown.
Also, I was curious as to the state of the Zócalo, in light of the teachers, ambulantes, and the annual reenactment of “el Grito de Independencia” by the Governor, from the balcony of the Government Palace, at 11 PM tonight.
I found, except for a handful of tents and tarps, the Alameda and Zócalo were back to normal.
Castillos were being constructed on either side of the Government Palace.
And, like every year, the Mexican flag was flying high, green, white, and red lights and banners were strung, and images of the heroes of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain decorated the front of the Palacio de Gobierno
Most of the teachers and ambulantes have departed and all is being readied for el Grito de Independencia 2014. And, nobody seems to miss the State Police, who are staging a “work stoppage.” Ahhh, Oaxaca… Ya gotta love her!
El Grito de Independencia
¡Mexicanos!
¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron la patria y libertad!
¡Viva Hidalgo!
¡Viva Morelos!
¡Viva Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez!
¡Viva Allende!
¡Viva Galeana y los Bravo!
¡Viva Aldama y Matamoros!
¡Viva la Independencia Nacional!
¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!
In English
Mexicans!
Long live the heroes that gave us the Fatherland (and liberty)!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Galeana and the Bravos!
Long live Aldama and Matamoros!
Long live National Independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!
Posted in Celebrations, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Grito, el grito de dolores, Grito de Dolores, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on September 15, 2013| 2 Comments »
At 11 PM tonight, with El Grito de Dolores, also known as El Grito de la Independencia (the Shout of Independence), echoing from government buildings throughout the country, Mexico begins celebrating her long and hard-fought independence from Spain. Despite the gathering of meteorological and political storm clouds, Oaxaca has gotten her green, white, and red on.
Doors are decorated, bunting is hung, and Mexico’s tricolor appears…
This proud yet faded flag with frayed edges seems a fitting symbol this year.
In the words of Che Guevara, “La lucha continua.”
Posted in Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged colectivos, crucifix, flags, Jesús crucifado, Mexican flag, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Virgen de Guadalupe on August 24, 2013| 4 Comments »
Down to Mercado de Abastos late this morning to catch a colectivo out to Etla. I’ve actually come to enjoy the 10-block walk through this definitely not-spiffed-up-for-tourist-consumption neighborhood. However, crossing the Periferico Sur is another story! Cars, taxis, colectivos, buses, trucks, motorcycles, hand-trucks, and pedestrians all in motion or poised to move. Did I mention the potholes ready to swallow people and vehicles? There is a pedestrian bridge a block down the street, but what’s the fun in that?
Needless to say, we all need all the help we can get! I think my colectivo driver had all his bases covered, invoking Mexico’s “Holy Trinity” — La Virgen de Guadalupe, Jesús crucificado, and patriotismo.
Of course he had the rear view mirror covered, too!