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Posts Tagged ‘sacred mountain’

My favorite mountains

Posted in Culture, Geography, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2019| 4 Comments »

Looking back, it seems appropriate that I welcomed 2018 under the watchful eye of Cerro Picacho, Quie Guia Betz in Zapotec, that looms above Teotitlán del Valle — a mountain sacred to her people and where they make a pilgrimage to the top on Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross).

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January 1, 2018

And then said farewell to 2018 in my Mill Valley hometown at the foot of Mount Tamalpais, the “Sleeping Lady” — mountain of my childhood dreams, teen driving lessons, and place of retreat.

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December 31, 2018

Two of my favorite places in the world — mountains that never cease to bring me a sense of peace, joy, and renewal.

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Let the festivities begin!

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 11, 2013| 9 Comments »

Monday, we returned to Teotitlán del Valle for the Fiesta titular a la Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo — the pueblo’s most important festival of the year.  While special masses have been celebrated at the Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo (the village church) since June 30, Monday’s convite (procession) by the unmarried women in the village, kicked off the more public events.

Lovingly decorated canastas (baskets) waited in the church to be reclaimed by their owners, placed on their heads, and carried through the streets.

Crowds gathered in the plaza in front of the church and sidewalks and streets along the route.

And then it began — with solemn drum beats, fireworks, church bells, marmotas (cloth balloons on a pole), and a band.

Little boys (and a few girls) carrying model airplanes (don’t ask me why), paper mache lambs, and turkeys followed.

And then came the neatly organized rows of girls and young women.

For over an hour they wound their way up and down and around the streets of Teotitlán del Valle.  The weather was perfect, no late afternoon thunder showers this year, and it was glorious.

Stay tuned, the festivities continue all week.  And, check out Oaxaca-The Year After this week for blogger buddy Chris’s photos and commentary.

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Uplifting…

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 7, 2012| 10 Comments »

Late yesterday afternoon, we returned to Teotitlán del Valle for the convite (parade) of unmarried young women and girls, a part of the annual patronal festival of La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.  The sun was shining, the rains of two days before were nowhere to be seen, and the sacred mountain, El Picacho, gracefully, but commandingly, presided as the soldados and danzantes entered the church courtyard.

Soldados and danzantes with the mountain in the background

Bands also arrived to take part…

Band with tuba in front; mountain in background

Canastas (baskets) were lined up, ready to be carried…

Canastas with images of the Virgen Mary lined up.

3 canastas with images of Jesus

Canasta with Virgen de la Navidad woven into the design

The young men of the village gathered…

Young men sitting on a ledge

Young men in profile

Family and friends awaited…

Women standing and facing down the street

And then the young unmarried women and girls, the stars of the evening, raised the canastas over their heads…

Young women and girls in red skirts and white blusas carrying canastas on their heads lined up and

3 young women carrying canastas on their heads

Close-up of 2 young women carrying canastas on their heads

Balancing the canastas, they processed from the courtyard, down several long and cobblestone blocks, turned left, and headed back up another street to where they had begun, to be greeted by proud family and friends, who had gathered to acknowledge and celebrate the young women and girls of Teotitlán del Valle.

For some inexplicable reason, we never cease to feel moved and uplifted by this ritual.

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