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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2010 16:23:22 GMT
Towns and cities here are divided into named colonias of varying sizes. I like mine because it's not too big and is divided into small blocks. My immediate neighborhood is four short streets around a playing field, with a tiny church on the corner closest to me. This picture was taken in November inside the chapel. That's my car parked in front of my house and my dog Ginger sniffing around the chapel steps. But now it's December, season of many religious festivals, and all festivals here mean lots of fireworks. Religious festivals aren't just celebrated on one day, but on several leading up to the actual feast day. Talk about a Pavlovian response -- now, the moment the church bell starts ringing, Ginger races into the house to avoid the loud bangs he knows are coming. The past week has not been happy for him, as a neighbor child's birthday party was quickly followed by the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which bumps right into the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe. (actual day, December 12) He knew the marquee being set up in the street in front of the church boded ill for his ears, and eagerly jumped into the car yesterday evening so we could go feed a friend's dogs. On returning, there were people streaming toward the chapel. A neighbor urged me to come, too: "We're going to take the calenda through the whole colonia!" Las Mañanitas para la virgincita The band plays, people and monos dance and twirl ~~ And we're off, following the float, the band, and the dancers. We're just rounding the corner down from the church. That's the house shown at the end of the street in the OP. (no precipitation -- lint on the lens picked up by the low light shot) We'll wend up these very dark streets a couple of blocks until we come to the big main road.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2010 16:23:52 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2010 16:24:16 GMT
Note that the store across from the float is named after the Virgin of Soledad -- the patroness of Oaxaca. Her feast day is December 18. Since we're in Xoxocotlán, maybe Ginger's ears will be spared for that feast day. At intervals, the girls and women with the baskets fling wrapped candies to the onlookers. And now the float is fired back up so the calenda can move off to the rest of the colonia. I double back and go home, where I can hear the music and fireworks in the house. The photos above were taken @8:30. The procession finally returned to the front of the church at almost 12:30.
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Post by bjd on Dec 11, 2010 17:28:42 GMT
Interesting -- a lot of the people look so serious. I would have thought they would be smiling.
I can hear fireworks going off here too at this moment, but have no idea why. And of course, the neighbour's dog barking.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 11, 2010 23:49:28 GMT
~?~ You think? They all look adequately jolly to me. The women with stuff on their heads do have a look of concentration.
Tonight is shaping up to be living hell for the dog. There is some kind of party going on directly behind my house, with fireworks, naturally. Also, a loudspeaker announcement was just made. I wasn't paying attention, but heard something about Guadalupe. Since it's the eve of the feast day, that surely calls for more fireworks.
My house has a hallway that leads to a walled, covered patio in the back. The other night there were so many firecrackers going off that the hallway reeked of gunpowder.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2010 6:24:21 GMT
Although less lavish, the "giants" are extremely reminiscent of the giants in the carnival parades in northern France and Belgium.
I continue to wonder about the influence of religion on Mexican lives. The religious symbolism is there, but there is nothing religious about the music, fircrackers or parade atmosphere. Are these events all just an excuse to have a good time, like in France?
Technical question: did you use your flash on the crowd shots? (I try to avoid using my flash whenever possible, but the streets do seem much darker than in Paris.)
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Post by myrt on Dec 12, 2010 9:41:45 GMT
I love fireworks! And fortunately my dog has never been bothered by them......in fact he likes to come out and watch when we have our annual little display for Bonfire Night.
I think it looks gorgeous Bixa! I just love the colours, costumes and flowers - it looks very exotic to me - nothing much like that here - our local village Carnival is a major event here but much less colourful, much smaller scale and with no religious connection. I expect we enjo it in much the same way though ;D Maybe I should hunt out some photos to show you..
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2010 20:18:05 GMT
I guess these gigantes were brought from Spain, although they could have come in later, from France. Here's a nice piece of serendipity, in light of Myrt's comment about Carnival in England. I found this when I tried to look up the origin of the giant festival figures: www.midsummerwatch.co.uk/html/history.htmlI would love to know how fireworks and rowdy music got introduced into all the religious observances here. It reminds me of pictures and film clips of Chinese occasions commemorating certain heavenly beings or seasons of the year. Surely some of the customs are remnants of pre-hispanic ones. Some people are genuinely pious. I just looked out the gate, and a well-attended Mass is going on in the chapel. However, so much of this is woven into traditional practices here, it's hard to tell. The Virgin of Guadalupe is not only a religious figure, she is also tied into patriotic feelings. She was a potent emblem of the revolution, where her flag was carried into battle. The Virgin of Guadalupe does seem to fill some kind of deep emotional &/or spiritual need. On more than one occasion I have come across women talking to a representation of Guadalupe -- completely absorbed and oblivious to the outside world. Tech question answer: Yes, it was either flash or no pictures. Also, I have found that putting dark pictures through Photoscape can sometimes redeem them. Judicious use of level, bright, backlight, and sharpen can make it look as though I know what I'm doing with a camera. Flash was forbidden in Sto. Domingo, but using Photoscape really brought out some architectural features that were hidden in the gloom. (check out Basics, too -- Phtoscp can also be used for slide shows)Thanks so much for the nice feedback, Myrt. Ginger wound up in my room last night, quivering like a chihuahua from all the blasts, which went on all night long. Pleeeeese show some pictures of your Carnival! Don't many of the harvest festival and other customs go way back into the pre-Christian past in Britain?
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2010 20:34:32 GMT
Well, something is going on. As soon as I clicked Post Reply for the above message, fireworks went off and the band broke into quite a nice, jazzy rendition of the Las Mañanitas.
A bus pulled up into the playing field and people got off carrying floral arrangements, as another person walked up to the church from the neighborhood carrying a reed wheel of fireworks.
People are sitting at tables outside the church, eating. I must start paying attention to the announcements!
Stay tuned!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 13, 2010 0:54:40 GMT
So pitiful to post three times in a row in my own thread, but ....
WOW! So much is going on at the little church. Those "floral arrangements" turned out to be giant feathered headdresses for the boys who performed la danza de la pluma. I've also been fed chicken, mole, rice, beer, and mezcal. Right now I'm inside checking on the poor dog, then back out to see more of the toritos. Gawwwwd, I hope my pics and videos come out!
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Post by mich64 on Dec 13, 2010 1:20:12 GMT
I always enjoy your photos of the different festivals where you live Bix, so lively and colorful. The fireworks scare my dog terribly as well. Out her on the lake each weekend in the summer seems to be an excuse for them to set them off. Jeb is okay if daddy is home but if he is working nights and they start he starts to shake and bark, poor boy. Looking forward to your next photo essay! Thank you! Cheers Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2010 2:05:14 GMT
Thank you so much, Mich. I hope you enjoy this next part. As I said above in #s 8 and 9, there was lots of action at the church. A new band was playing with gusto and a propensity for jazzy arrangements. More people kept arriving with interesting items ~ Oh, look ~~ Juan Diego himself has honored us with a visit! If I had gone to El Llano park in Oaxaca on the 11th, I could have seen scads of little kids all decked out. The boys are dressed as Juan Diego or sometimes in regional costume. The girls are dressed as little girls of an earlier era in Mexico, or again, in regional costume. They're absolutely adorable. This little fellow is representing a region of Oaxaca, I believe ~ Food was being served ~ And something is afoot in the church. Let's zoom to see what we can see ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2010 2:06:09 GMT
~ First pic is a slide show. Please give it a moment to load ~ Oh my gosh ~~ here they come!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2010 2:07:11 GMT
We like it!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2010 2:08:37 GMT
As you can tell in the last still pictures above, it was starting to get dark. But dark would not put a damper on the festivities -- far from it. No, darkness meant it was time for the toritos, piled and waiting on the church steps. They look like art objects, but they're actually reeds, split and bent into shapes, then loaded with firecrackers. Whoever puts them together must know how to make them spin and ignite in sequence. For whatever reason, they're always called toritos, but they come in different shapes. This group consists of a bull and the woman figures. The bull was recharged twice, for three different outings. A call is sent out for volunteers. One neighbor asked another if he didn't want to do it. No, he replied, my ears still haven't recovered from doing it last year. The torito bearer doesn't just carry the thing. No, he or she dances, runs, and swings and twirls the flaming figure. A noble soul has stepped forward ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2010 2:09:19 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Dec 14, 2010 6:57:47 GMT
Bloody marvelous!! I thought it looked dangerous and now I am convinced it damn well IS ;D Bixa, I got quite disorientated just watching this last UTube! - those explosions and showers of fire raining down!! I hope everyone is wearing old clothes so it doesn't matter about the burn holes in the fabric! Thank you so much for giving us this wonderful opportunity to see something so exciting. About those colourful headdresses. I tried to look closely at the bright feathers and am sure they are the same as the ones I have in my fabric, Haby & craft store. The feathers I get come from China (like the fireworks I guess!) and are from turkeys and chickens basically. The soft fluffy shorter ones are plaited onto a string/twine and are called "Marabou" . The ones with longer obvious feathers are also entwined in a ropey string and are the usual feather boa's. Did you do the UTube scenes as well? Excellent ! It makes quite a difference hearing the music with the dancing and is very nice.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 14, 2010 7:04:02 GMT
Nearly forgot - Bixa, please do your precious doggie a great favour by giving him/her some medication before any fireworks. Animals don't need to suffer the cruelty of crackers that bang if they are given something to stop them "worrying" Its no good doping them because then they are just as terrified in a doped state. They must have "no worries" medicine. I used to get tablets from my vet when I had dogs. I found this on the internet: www.simplysupplements.net/product/134/calming-formula-catsdogs/
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Post by bjd on Dec 14, 2010 7:40:28 GMT
Thanks, Bixa. Lots of fun watching these. I can't help but think that it would all be forbidden in W Europe, or even more in N America, where there are those permanent "slippery when wet" floor things everywhere.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 15, 2010 7:08:38 GMT
Thanks, ladies! After his first run with the torito, I saw the guy checking his arms, presumably for burns. The very first time I ever saw toritos was one of the best. It was in the the big area in front of Santo Domingo and there were several people with toritos at one time. People were sitting and standing all the way around the area, and the torito dancers were running right at the crowd. They also had a bunch of those buzz bomb fireworks that whoosh along the ground. Exciting! And you're so right, Bjd, that this would never be allowed on a public street where many of us live. Every time I see this, as I'm batting out tiny flames in my hair, I think, "gawd, I love this country!" People in this neighborhood seem quite safety conscious. You can see the kids all crowded around while the torito was being armed, but they were shooed away before it was lit. Yeah, Tod, those lads probably didn't go out to the desert and fast before catching colorful birds to create their costumes. The sewing and notions stores here are treasure troves -- it's a costume-intensive area. Oh, remember the wheel the lady is carrying into the church in #11? They ran a rope between two trees and hung the wheel, clearing everyone well away before lighting it. It was really anti-climactic after the toritos. And yes, those are all my videos. You can hear my nasal voice in one of them. Thanks for the compliment. The band is playing for the dancers in the first danza video, and they're using canned music in the second. Today a neighbor came over to talk about what I'll contribute for the posada that will take place on the 19th, so more to come! In the meantime, here's a bit more of the band ~~
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 15, 2010 16:44:00 GMT
Gosh! The colours....
Oh, fantastic Bixa.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Dec 15, 2010 19:24:07 GMT
WOW! what amazing images...thanks Bixa, they are so interesting and give a real insight into the culture and colour of the festival....
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 17, 2010 5:53:33 GMT
Thanks, Mick and Cheery!
I have to go get a piñata and fill it with candy as my contribution to the posada on Sunday. The young woman who is organizing what people will bring was appalled that I didn't make the whole circuit for the calenda. She kept telling me, "We went through the whole colonia!", as though to convince me of what I'd missed.
Since the posada involves little kids, it will be broken into smaller parts, thank goodness.
Quite honestly, these events are fun, but there are stretches that are repetitive or nothing is really happening. I like the parts that feature food, or things being set on fire.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2010 6:06:49 GMT
I'm just catching up to this fantastic thread again. Sometimes, idiotic unanswerable questions pop into my mind such as "I wonder who was the first person to ask 'what will happen if we try to dye these feathers?'" and things like that. Clearly, once they got started, they couldn't stop.
The firecrackers in Asia are supposed to scare away the demons. Are there any demons in these festivities?
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 18, 2010 18:04:21 GMT
Mexico has a long tradition of feathered art. If you're ever in Auch, you can look into the museum there, where the feather mosaic from 1539 is considered the prize of the collection. You may remember the framed pictures of birds fashioned from feathers. They were made and sold as souvenirs into the 1940s, so were surely still kicking around homes when many of us were kids. No demons that I know of, although the kids get pretty demonic over scrambling for the piñata goodies. I went downtown yesterday and bought the piñata for tomorrow night. It's cardboard inside instead of clay. The clay ones were really heavy. The vendors claim the kids like the cardboard ones better because they take longer to break, so more kids get a chance to whack the thing. Also, no broken shards, so safer. It's pretty, isn't it? This is what will go inside:
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2010 21:09:05 GMT
Oh jeez. I thought you would be making each and every item yourself.
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Post by mich64 on Dec 18, 2010 22:40:17 GMT
I am remembering birthday parties when I was young and how much we loved it when we heard there would be a pinata! The one you selected is beautiful the color is brilliant! I have learned so much about this festival through this thread, really enjoyable Bix, thank you. Cheers, Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 19, 2010 18:56:50 GMT
That is interesting that piñatas were being used at birthday parties in Canada when you were a kid, Mich. I don't think I saw a piñata until I grew up. I stuffed the piñata last night, and it came out just right -- full to the top. I do wish I hadn't gotten so much confetti on that living room chair. Thanks for your compliments and for saying you're enjoying the thread. Just be glad you're not here right now, as you probably wouldn't enjoy the kids' music being played in the street. Last night my next-door neighbors set up a marquee in front of their house and store. Today they were tying balloons to the post and setting up the sound system. I went outside to sweep and heard a cocktail piano bar rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in Spanish. Cracked me up. I saw my neighbor and asked if the preparations were for the posada tonight. No, this is for his grand-daughter's fifth birthday party. (And just yesterday the same people who had the kid's party alluded to the OP had another party, complete with one of those inflated jumping chambers and a table with chafing dishes.) Anyway, kids' music here is heavy on Chipmunks style singing or, even more excruciatingly, adults talking or singing in what are supposed to be kids' voices. Well, I can't complain as I have excellent next-door neighbors. Even so, I think I'll take a mosey downtown and see what's what in Oaxaca for the Christmas season.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2010 21:01:22 GMT
Good idea. We pretty much know what northern North American and European Christmas decorations look like, but Mexico is a mystery to us, except that we assume that Christmas involves firecrackers, just like every other holiday.
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Post by mich64 on Dec 19, 2010 23:40:53 GMT
Cannot wait for the next installment Bix ;D I think we had a lot of pinata parties because it seems military families liked to vacation in Mexico and brought the tradition home to the base. Have a great night. Cheers, Mich
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