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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 7:26:53 GMT
Well, I wasn't going to make another Xmas in Oaxaca thread, but what can a person do when photo-ops just leap out and practically click the camera for her? This first bunch was taken Friday afternoon. This one is from El Llano park. It's in front of the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- the one that looms up behind the taco stands in the Tacolandia thread. Heading home much later, I passed through the zócalo. To my delight, the Bethlehem scene had just been completed and finishing touches were being put on all the other decorations. I was one step ahead of the cops putting up the barriers in front of the scene. It was 5:40 when I took the first picture, so they get darker & grainier -- but full of all kinds of pretty sparkly stuff! Scenes of idealized Mexican rural life at Christmas time were the theme this year ~ The fact that these are re-purposed department store manikins cracks me up. Her streaky coloring appears to be an attempt to make her look indigenous. Nothing can be done about her haughty fashion model demeanor and lanky limbs, though. The tableaux present a variety of customs that are still quite alive. The object the woman is holding is for fanning the coals under a brazier. On the table behind her is a jug for chocolate with a wooden beater for frothing. Next to that is a bowl of tejocote for making ponche. I'm pretty sure her big basket contains corn shucks for making tamales and the one between the girls has fruits of the season. The boy has a stick for beating the piñata that's hanging over his head. Onr girl has a holder for a candle and there are several more on the ground. These are for the posadas. The other girl is holding a scene of Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem. Tons of poinsettias again this year ~ The ramp where the public will get a close up look at Bethlehem ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 7:31:55 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 7:36:57 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 7:47:29 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 7:59:56 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2011 8:13:23 GMT
Right off the zócalo, I come across a sort of Christmas gift for the public. Here they can meet with government officials about problems of employment, development, etc. They can also complain, denounce and otherwise make themselves heard. A first sign of Christmas commerce ~ The street by the market is amazingly deserted ~ The Benevá store's green decor & Christmas swags ~ Some make-up help and a merry Christmas ~ My favorite little discount store is full of Christmas stuff ~ That's it for Friday. I have a ton of pictures from my neighborhood's Guadalupe celebration tonight, but they're still in my camera. Please re-visit this thread as I'll be updating it.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Dec 11, 2011 10:35:06 GMT
Bixa this is a fascinating thread and I've really enjoyed looking at the images and reading your commentary. It might be strange to see old department store manikins used...but it's recycling so that's fine ;D The festival seems to be celebrated more traditionally in Mexico than here. Do you have special foods that you eat just at this time of year?
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Post by bjd on Dec 11, 2011 11:03:29 GMT
Is this the normal time of year for the poinsettias to bloom? I remember seeing trees of them blooming in Ecuador in April. Here of course they are sold in small pots as "Christmas stars" and it's a real pain to get them to bloom from one year to the next.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 2:30:55 GMT
Hi ladies, and thanks for your interest & great questions. Cheery, it's intensely traditional. All of these occasions get celebrated the same way every year. It's sort of funny to see the little campesino manikins decorating a Christmas tree, as that is definitely not a solid part of Christmas the way it might be for you, me, or most Europeans. Most families will have a huge midnight meal on December 24. It's interesting to see the foodstuffs that hit the supermarkets this time of year. There's turrón and bacalao, but only a certain segment of population will enjoy those Spanish delicacies. (read -- higher socio-economic group, &/or more attached to their Spanish heritage). There will be oceans of hot chocolate served during the season, along with pan de yema, just as for days of the dead; the ponche mentioned above, tamales, etc. Each neighborhood will have hefty snacks for their posada, as mine did last year. (I'm committed to making up 100 bags of candy for it this year .) The traditions run into each other as well. Tomorrow is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have bunches of pictures I took downtown today, plus more from last night. Right now Mass is going on in the chapel on my block. The band had been playing to, um, beat the band in front of the church before Mass started. Much of it wasn't religious music -- there was some jazzy stuff & even a tango. Darla was a basket case because of the fireworks last night. I took her to town with me & she's exhausted, so I hope they won't bother her tonight because there will be a >>drumroll<< castillo. This is my favorite thing in the whole world -- a tower of fireworks with a spinning crown on top that takes off into the night sky as a climax. And it's right in front of my house! Bjd, the poinsettia started blooming at least a month ago. They're natives of this country & seem to bloom for a very long time. The red ones turn into lanky, graceless, overgrown pests. I bought a pretty little potted "alternate color" poinsettia one year & it bloomed until at least Easter. I think there are tricks you can do, as with bougainvillea, to force them into bloom, but it's sure tempting to ditch them & get a new one every year. They must have some cold tolerance, as I've seen very tall ones blooming snugged up to two-story houses in New Orleans. As I recall, it wasn't necessarily only during the Christmas season there, either. The name for the poinsettia here is "flor de navidad", & there are acres & acres of potted ones for sale right now.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2011 5:25:30 GMT
Wonderful warm photos compared to my approaching chilly Christmas! Although I grew up with poinsettias being the traditional Christmas flower in North America, I have completely forgotten about them over the years, because we don't see much of them in France. They look so incredibly better in Mexico anyway, growing so exuberantly rather than just one flowering plant in a pot.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 14:58:13 GMT
Thanks, Kerouac. It is warm here during the day -- we're having our usual strange wintertime spread of 50s at night & 80s during the day (low teens -- high 20s Centigrade).
I'm surprised nowhere in Europe took to growing poinsettias en masse for the Christmas season. The exuberant effect you see in the pictures is from gazillions of flowering potted plants.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 15:36:18 GMT
Okay, taking up the thread of this thread again .............. today in real life is December 12, feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. My day started with a brass band a few steps from my door playing a very lively Las Mañanitas in front of the door of the chapel while rockets were set off. This & other significant religious feasts have their celebrations started before the actual day. Here are observances from December 10: People are arriving for Mass and milling around in front of the door of the chapel. My house is two doors down on the right, so you can see I'm in the thick of this. Here's a bad picture with a cautionary tale. I took this with flash, then saw all the marks caused by lint, so blew hard on the lens. Bad idea, as it fogged up & I had to wait until it unfogged, so lost several good picture opportunities. I will make this up to you all with some extravagant video later. Here everyone, including the band, has just gone into the chapel so Mass can begin. Let's listen: Meanwhile, outside in front of my house, it's discovered that the generator for the float is malfunctioning. Someone is dispatched for gasoline & there is kibitzing & fiddling. Some limited success: The red, white, & green are not Christmas colors here, but the colors of the national flag. You can see it draped on the left of the picture. This is a reference to the revolution. In 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla initiated the bid for Mexican independence with the cry "Death to the Spaniards and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!" His army carried the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a battle standard. wikipedia articleThe man sets off the rockets from time to time. They ascend with a whoosh, then bang loudly high in the air. People continue to arrive. They're carrying the baskets that women and girls will later hold on their heads as they dance. You can see the monos -- giant figures -- in the background.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 16:07:12 GMT
The boys are trying on the monos. The figures are made so they can be animated by dancing humans. There are cut-outs on the front of the figures' clothing so the dancers can see out. There's one visible on the bottom rose of the figure in white, I never figured out who the figures represent. This cute little guy really liked having his picture taken. In a yard next to the big figures is a giant globe that will be carried in the calenda. Meanwhile, some people wait in front of the chapel. It got crowded in there!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 16:18:56 GMT
I've gone back inside my house to await further action & to reassure the dog, who isn't happy about all the whistling, whooshing, banging fireworks. While I'm inside, another extravaganza of flashes & pows is set off in the playing field in front of my house: Ahh, Mass is over and everyone is gathering to travel behind the float through the whole colonia. They stop in front of designated houses to dance to the band. The people in those houses distribute beverage and snacks. I found out last night that one of the host neighbors gave out mufflers -- quite nice ones! And they're off! This photo was taken at 7:04 pm. We won't see the crowd back again for several hours.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2011 16:30:16 GMT
And now it's past midnight, 12:10 am, to be exact. They've finally returned. More dancing and music and fireworks beneath the light of the full moon. But the real excitement is yet to come. As candy and fruit are hurled to the crowd, the giant figures and some of the dancers move into the playing field for some pyrotechnic footwork. Let's see that live! That's it for December 10. Please come back to this thread later, as I'll be updating it with December 11 and all the costumed children visiting the church of Guadalupe in Oaxaca.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 12, 2011 18:14:56 GMT
That was lovely & I'll be back for the Grand Finale` ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2011 18:33:31 GMT
Fabulous!
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Post by mich64 on Dec 12, 2011 23:49:52 GMT
Very Festive Bixa! Lots of fun! Darla is like my Jeb, not a fan of the fireworks, he shakes until his teeth chatter. He is afraid of the storms as well. I love the family atmosphere and the historical traditions of festival Navidad so far. Cheers! Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 0:46:17 GMT
Thanks to all of you. Let's just hope I survive tonight. You can't believe the SIZE of the speakers that were set up in the field a little while ago.
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Post by imec on Dec 13, 2011 0:56:55 GMT
Wow, what a production! Thanks bixa!
(what's Beneva?)
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 7:45:48 GMT
Oh, you all are kind and encouraging -- thanks! Mich, I happened to be outside holding Darla once when a rocket whoooshed up right over the house, trailing fire and then exploding with a loud bang. She followed it with her eyes the whole way. What could a dog possibly make of that? I have made her a tent by putting one of her beds under a small table and covering it with a blanket. She likes that! Imec, Benevá is a very nice brand of mezcal. If you ever have a chance, try the añejo/aged. Smooooth. www.mezcalbeneva.com/home1.html
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 8:13:43 GMT
Well, now it is Sunday, December 11 in thread time. This is the day all the little children dress like Juan Diego (boys) or in traditional indigenous clothes (girls) and go to the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church is in Llano park in Oaxaca. Let's go see what's going on there. Leaving the house with Darla, I snap a picture of the little chapel that appears in the the pictures from the 10th so you all can see it in daylight: A huge pavilion has gone up in the playing field. The white car in the right background is parked in front of my house.I'll be close to the activity tonight! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ So now here we are downtown walking to the park, which is quite a few blocks away. We're on 20 de Noviembre street which is lined with tiny stores selling all kinds of folk crafts. Tin work is a Oaxaca craft & these small examples are perfect Christmas tree ornaments. If you buy some while you're here, you have to put them in your checked luggage to prevent you from using them as weapons on the airplane.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 8:31:01 GMT
Moving right along, my attention is caught by the tiny decorations in this optometrist's window. Baby Jesus in the manger looks somewhat one of those little porcelain stands to rest chopsticks on. Cuteness times two! Self-portrait snoitcelfer mit kitsch ~ Now we're coming up 5 de Mayo street. This is a great store -- a collective of craftwomen: Great piece of naive art doing duty as a store sign ~ In front of Santo Domingo, I run into something seldom seen any more -- traditionally dressed nuns:
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 8:43:52 GMT
Continuing up the pedestrian street, we run into more & more kids either coming or going from Guadalupe church. The trick is to keep the parents from telling the kids to pose, which happened repeatedly. I was hoping to just discreetly snap this adorable brother & sister unawares. But politely asking the parents permission threw the dad into overdrive directorial mode ~ Could he be any cuter?! They're not posing their child, she's just too teensy to sit up by herself yet.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 8:54:06 GMT
Turning off Álcala, we stop to cool off & admire the botanical garden through the big openings thoughtfully cut into the thick stone wall. Here's our objective, El Llano park. Wow -- it's in full swing with music, a giant Topo Gigot (or something), all kinds of stands, wonderful food smells, and zillions of people. But first I detour to the tourist office & convince them to let me use the facilities while a kindly cop holds Darla's leash. This line of people -- too long for my camera to cover completely -- are the people waiting to get into the church! I must go sleep now, but when I get up we'll cross the street & plunge into the park, okay?
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Post by bjd on Dec 13, 2011 9:27:22 GMT
Who was Juan Diego? And is there a connection between the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the children being dressed up like that?
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Post by mich64 on Dec 13, 2011 17:35:04 GMT
Bixa, how many occasions throughout the year do the children get to dress up? They are adorable, especially the little baby girl! I love all the stores and would have so much fun shopping there. The little figurines are priceless they must be antiques? Really enjoying your report Bixa! Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 17:45:00 GMT
Bjd, thanks for the question. The Virgin of Guadalupe and everything surrounding her are so permeated into this culture that I flat forgot that the rest of the world wouldn't automatically be aware of it all.
According to legend, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was a Mexican convert to Christianity. In 1531, when he was 57, he was passing a hill that was the site of the ruined temple to the Aztec mother-goddess Tonantzin. There he saw a vision of a girl of about 14 surrounded by light. She identified herself as his merciful mother and said that she wanted a shrine built on that site. Juan Diego made four attempts to convince the bishop of his vision. On the fourth, on December 12, he brought the bishop miraculous roses in his cloak. When they were spilled out, the cloak was revealed to be imprinted with the image of the lady.
This is of course the very short version. Although Juan Diego was made a saint, his very existence is questioned by many churchmen and historians. Nevertheless, the image of the Virgin Mary as an indigenous or mestizo figure has a deep emotional pull to this day. Further, as briefly pointed out in #11, Our Lady of Guadalupe was a symbol of the Revolution.
Thus, on her day, the children dress as Juan Diego or in the manner in which the Lady supposedly appeared -- as an indigenous or mestizo girl.
Amended to add that it took me so long to write my post that I didn't see Mich's.
Thank you, Mich! And yeah, there seem to be many occasions where kids dress up. There's day of the dead, of course, but also a kiddy spring parade, various school occasions involving folk dance & the like, plus more.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 20:35:11 GMT
The whole park is one big fun fair. You can buy stuff, both sacred & profane ~ An old man with Santas for sale ~ This guy's patter: "perfect gift for the mother-in-law!" Picking out a balloon ~ Haven't seen one of these in ages ~ These two were dancing to beat the band!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2011 20:43:12 GMT
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