Dog day afternoon

[bixaorellana]

We wanted to go get blessed today on the feast of San Ramón, but it was a gray & drizzly day. Luckily, right before four o'clock, the appointed time, the skies cleared so we got dressed up to go.

We're not the first ones here!






Meeting & greeting --

A church doorway -- the first place you think to look for all your wrestling mask needs --


The vendors' poor birdies need their cage cleaned!


This nice family has a sparkling clean bowl of fish? turtles?

[bixaorellana]

We plunge into the crowd.

Kisses!

It's our turn to get blessed. Ha ha -- Human had to hold her camera behind her back to keep holy water off it.

There's nothing dogs like better than a big loud tropical band.

[bixaorellana]

Human took this photo for you, Ms. Htmb!

Human has to go to bed now, but she will post many more pictures here tomorrow.

[htmb]

Delightful! I can just hear the cacophony of sounds now, almost as if I were there in person.
Quite the costumes on those pooches, too. Looks like lots of fun, but we need more pictures!

[htmb]

At one of our churches here the animals are all brought inside for the service. It makes for an interesting time, to say the least. I'm wondering if that's also the case in Oaxaca.

[bixaorellana]

More pictures you say? Heh heh heh heh heh.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it was quite loud there, but with a fun feeling of excitement. Most of the animals took it that way, but there were a few that really should have been spared it.

I wonder if this event ever took place inside the church. It's gotten way too big for that over the years, if so. Can you imagine the din bouncing off old stone walls? And the smells and clean-up would be a little daunting.

Well, on with the show ~~



*thought balloon* Oh god, I could just die! Here I am in this ancient frock I've been seen in before & look at this platinum bombshell in that exquisite creation of embroidery & lace. My only consolation is that Human is wearing the same color I am, but I look sooooo much better in it because I'm still young & cute.

[Deleted]

OH!!!! I LOVE THIS!!!!
( I have a wee disdain for dressing up animals but over the years have gotten over it).

The variety of people, the different animals, creatures , human and otherwise are clearly in the spirit of this celebration.

We have something similar here, sans the costumes that I took 2 of my dogs to many years ago.
It took place inside Holy Name Cathedral at Loyola, and, the line was endless, with no fanfare or celebration.
I forget which Saint or feast it was, it was that long ago.

This really puts Oaxaca up quite a few notches in my book with regard to festivals and celebrations that include everyone!!

So very cool!!!

[bixaorellana]

Stay back -- it's some kind of devil dog!

[Deleted]

Sorry, simulposted, interrupted your further continuation.
COOL regardless!!!!

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, Casimira! I think most blessings of the animals take place on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in early October. (I googled & yes, that is the case in New Orleans & many other cities.)

Thanks to dear Henning, I dug & got the background on Oaxaca's animal blessing day, which is exclusive to Oaxaca. Here's the poop at Reply #10 in my report from 2011.

If you just can't get enough of this kind of thing, my last report on the event was in 2012, when we got soaked. But there are many more pictures to show from this year's event, so stay tuned, please.

[Deleted]

"Here's the poop"!!! I love it. As would HW as you well know. (Jeez, do I ever miss him). _{Sorry for the sidetrack.}

[bixaorellana]

Not a stuffed toy, but a real, live puppy dog ....... or maybe a baby polar bear!

Of course the humans were having a good time -- all the treats were for them.

Our human has to go do something right now, but she will be back shortly to wrap up this blessed event.

[htmb]

It appears there is money to be made in the bright and colorful doggie clothing market.

Really nice pictures, Bixa. I must check out those other threads sometime soon!

The church here is typically packed with dogs (on leashes), cats (in crates) and a few other assorted animals. The service tends to be quite noisy, as you can imagine, but typically they all settle down after awhile. Dogs that go up to the altar rail when their owners take communion are given doggy treats, too. Though most animals are not dressed in costumes, the whole scene is a bit bizarre. I have to say that your scenes certainly look much more interesting!

[bixaorellana]

Htmb, the veterinarians' offices here are just crammed with little garments for our four-legged friends. I get mine on the cheap, though, from the lovely Ema, who sells at the Friday tianguis in El Llano park. If I'd had more than a day's heads-up on this year's blessing, I'd have hied myself over there for new duds for my beastlets. She & her deaf daughter turn out all kinds of fun things, such as that dinosaur thingy that Oliver is wearing & Darla's fluffy dress. Harley's sweater came from a Wal-Mart in the US. Harley was wearing that Mexican tri-color thing like the one on Oliver, which nicely covered the American futbol on the sweater's back. It got lost in the throng, though, so Harley just walked around looking like Knute Rockne.

You really don't have to check out the other threads unless you're a sucker for punishment! If you are in fact that, I'd love to see pics of the blessing at your church. Your description reminds me of the tub we took to get to the ocean liner from Gibraltar. My mother was pregnant & horribly nauseated and the violently rolling boat was full of people and their terrified pets, notably vomiting dogs and birds beating themselves to bits in their cages with cats on top trying to get to them.

We are at the (ahem) tail end of this thread, but my computer keeps freezing. Let me see if I can get the last picture post in now.

[bixaorellana]

Man and dog are doing a nice job of dancing & keeping time to the music.

*human interjects a comment* If ever I felt sorry for an animal in my life, it was for this poor little girl who was truly in Hell.

Well, we're off for home, with just a glance back.




And here we are after only a couple of blocks, huddled under an awning to get away from the rain & hoping for a cab.

¡Hasta luego!

[mich64]

I love everything! A perfectly great way to spend an afternoon. Thank you for sharing Bixa.

[bixaorellana]

Aw, thanks, Mich! Wish you'd been there with me. You would have had a ball.

Sept 1, 2014 18:42:03 GMT htmb said:

... Dogs that go up to the altar rail when their owners take communion are given doggy treats, too. ...

Guess this was slow to sink in, but now that it has:
I'm assuming this is not a church that subscribes to the doctrine of transubstantiation!

[Deleted]

This event is totally fascinating and the illustrations are spectacular, but it makes me ask a question. Since 90% of the animals are dogs and maybe about 7% birds, I am obliged to wonder about cats. We all know that cats are the devil's servants and most of them refuse to come to such an event, much less get dressed up, so what is the popularity of cats in Oaxaca? Are they just all at home watching TV during this event or are they really less numerous?

Anyway, this topic caused me to look up the situation in Paris, where I discovered that people attend mass with their pets at Sainte Rita in the 15th arrondissement. Unfortunately, the owner of the church (a mysterious "Association cultuelle des chapelles catholiques et apostoliques") served them with an eviction notice in 2011 since it sold the church for the construction of an annex to Unesco headquarters and 20 social apartments. Then again, it must be admitted that a non-Vatican approved so-called priest reopened the church in 1988, so it is hardly an ancient tradition in Paris. The current municipal government has made it clear that since it is not even an accredited Catholic church, they will do nothing to stop the demolition. So it appears that the "priest" is resigned to the eviction once every single recourse has been exhausted, even though he has a profitable bikers' benediction in the summer as well. At the moment he has appealed to Bill Gates and to Qatar for financial assistance.

[bixaorellana]

The reason that there are so few cats is because 99.7% of all Oaxaca's cats live in the empty lot behind my house, where they attain the size of cocker spaniels, break into kitchens and snatch food, and spend most of their time in very loud reproductive activities.

You hardly ever see cats slinking around or just sitting in front of their houses the way you do in the US & I assume many other places, so I guess they are less popular here as pets.

The only animals I've ever seen in churches are the birds that fly in occasionally. I'm quite surprised to hear of all these church-going pets.

From one thing to another, I may have mentioned in the past that Oaxaca is a remarkably small place in the sense of running into the same people in different parts of town. It wasn't until I was posting the pictures in this thread that I realized I'd captured a vendor who is also in one of my DofD threads. I believe he is intellectually disabled and cannot speak intelligibly. He was selling tiny paper & stick figures of ghosts at the cemetery the last time I saw him, but this time the little figures carried Mexican flags for the month of patriotism (Sept.).

[htmb]

[quote author="bixaorellana" source="/post/202033/thread" timestamp="1409627853"

Sept 1, 2014 18:42:03 GMT htmb said:

... Dogs that go up to the altar rail when their owners take communion are given doggy treats, too. ...

Guess this was slow to sink in, but now that it has:
I'm assuming this is not a church that subscribes to the doctrine of transubstantiation!
[/quote]

Actually, they do!

The church I'm thinking of is the downtown Episcopal Church where they used to hold the blessing of the animals service in a local park, but moved it to the church a few years ago. I'm told there is a rowdy blessing of all animals in the church courtyard. Afterwards, some owners choose to leave with their more skittish pets, while others go inside to participate in a regular service. Often there is barking and meowing at the beginning of the service, but eventually all the animals settle down and get comfortable. The singing of hymns seems to help. During communion the priests and chalice bearers, called calicifers in this particular church, distribute communion at the altar rail to the humans as usual, while a couple of extra participants slip doggy treats under the rail to patiently waiting canines. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but apparently it has worked fairly well over the years.

[bixaorellana]

That's actually quite charming! Thanks for that delightful explanation, Htmb.

[lagatta]

I'd been wondering why the blessing wasn't taking place on Saint Francis Day; thanks for the explanation!

[lugg]

I am trying to imagine my animals there Zeb ( dog) - he would cope and enjoy probably, but Buzze (cat) would have mauled several humans and freaked out most of the dogs...

- a great fun thread Bixa. Your trio look very cute. It seems that generally it is the female humans that dress up their dogs as, apart from the occasional exception, most of the male humans have not joined in the fun ?

[bixaorellana]

Mmmmm ~~ don't know that it would be such a great place for Renzo and Buzze! That cat in the dress doesn't look as freaked out as she did in real life, where I could tell she was feeling trapped and terrified.

Most of the dogs seemed to be having a good time, although there were a few barkers.

Lugg, you're probably right about females being more likely to dress their pets. I admit that when I see a guy with a clothed animal, I unconsciously look around to see if there is a woman with him -- a bizarre manifestation of sexism.

Judgmental, but I can't help but think that some of the guys in the thread keep dogs that they think project their masculinity.

[lugg]

Yes I thought that too as I looked at the pic with the group of men together. Not judgemental I don't think.
Same here a certain type of man chooses a certain type of dog. Of course a certain type of man ....not all men

[cheerypeabrain]

You cerainly now how to cheer a girl up ..smashing photographs Bixa dear...a real joy.

[lagatta]

Renzo would be very pissed off at being dressed up and trussed up. He certainly doesn't hate dogs. In a younger day, he befriended a poor puppy whose cruel macho human owner attached to a very short leash and left outside in all weathers. Renzo wanted to play with his canine friend, who couldn't play on such a short leash Renzo cuddled up with him. Now Renzo is very old, and his world is much smaller.

The "dressing up" in these pictures seems silly, but I think it is a festive thing and don't get the impression that the dogs' humans do this on a regular basis.

[Deleted]

Considering the number of dogs who are happy to wear coats in the northern hemisphere in the winter, a random day in the year for this sort of thing probably is just as well accepted.

Of course, this is not necessarily because they like to wear clothes.

Coat in winter = yippee, we're going out for a walk!

Costume for festival = yippee, everybody is going to praise and admire me!