Seven Deadly Sins

In Queretaro, there is a nacimiento in the main plaza - four blocks filled with larger than life Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the three kings bearing gifts, walking along with their elephant and white horse. There's the annunciation, with Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, a menagerie of animals surrounding the manger, shepherds and towns people, a garden of Eden - not just a little garden but complete with a lake, flamingos, water birds and a naked adam and eve.

Buenos días, Paloma Blanca

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Thursday night, near the mercado Ignacio Ramirez, the final event of the celebration of the Virgen de Guadalupe was held. Vendors food booths and people filled the streets. The Virgin's altar was in full bloom, the procession of women carrying a wood nicho on a litter of flowers, and singing Buenos días, Paloma Blanca, had just arrived, followed by a lineup of followers who are served tamales and atole. (Movie of the fireworks here)



Castillo fireworks, which in this case include the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe who will be burned up in flames at the end of the evening, are being assembled in the street, roped to the surrounding buildings. It is a raggedy but self assured group of men from Guanajuato climbing around these towers, tying rockets, whistlers and vueltas. Grupo La Tuna Provinciana de San Miguel de Allende, dressed in black velvet shakespearan costume continue on from the women carrying the litter with Buenos días, Paloma Blanca, one of the many songs written for the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is song you would probably recognize, widely sung by mariachis, norteno bands, school children and women carrying statues, whenever the Virgin is present.

Nacimiento Babes

Every Christmas,
Markets are set up all over town,
Hundreds of stalls selling
Cactus,
Heno,
Tree bark,
Fir boughs,
Painted clay figures,
Glittery things,
Lights,
Nino Jesus dolls - the Santo Nino
Along with elaborate hand made clothing
To dress him in, for his birth

Nacimentos (nativities) here in Mexico,
Are room size affairs.
They are not a little box that sits on your hearth,
Not by any stretch of the imagination.
They literally fill a whole corner or wall of the living room.



In the next posts,

Virgen de Guadalupe

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I think the saying goes
'Let me count the ways'
And today, the multitude of ways they honor the Guadalupe, Lupe, Lupita, beginning at midnight with fireworks and a mariachi mass.

At 7am there is a rosary at the altar down the street, with singing, praying, tamales and atole.

Every statue in town is decorated, every statue is sung and prayed to. Many are carried through the town in arms, atop taxis, in nichos, carried by four women on litters that are covered in flowers. She is placed in doorways and windows, serenaded to by norteno bands, recorded music in the markets, and the people.



Her altars are decorated in gold lamé,

Singing in Spanish #5

Today's song, Nuestro Juramento (Our Vow)
(Listen while you read this post)
Was composed by Puerto Rican Composer
Benito de Jesús of Barceloneta, Puerto Rico,
But it's fame is attributed to Julio Juramillo
Of Guayaquil, Ecuador, 1935 - 1978.
His rendition and recording of the song
Earned him the name of Mr. Juramento.
Nuestro Juramento is another Bolero
Whose theme is love, life, death and love eternal

Julio is known as 'El Ruiseñor de América'