2019 DAY OF THE DEAD

Above- This person liked his dogs.

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2018

DAY OF THE DEAD

The Day Of The Dead in Mexico is NOT to be confused with the modern Halloween. Trick or treating and witches costumes etc are now being imported into Mexico but have nothing much to do with the very serious (at times) relationship Mexicans have with their ancestors. At one time in old Europe “All Hallowed Eve” had the same connotations but since then has devolved into another consumer event that mostly profits from childrens teeth.

The memorials below speak for themselves. Many die here in Mexico trying to make the world a better place

As always to The Paris Cafe for hot chocolate to end the evening.

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2017

The Pantheon or cemetery is a buzz of activity for several days with vendors outside selling food and drinks and flowers. Nov 2nd is actually the Day Of The Dead. Nov the 1st is for children.

The grounds are a riot of bright colours.

“Why to be taken so soon” was the sentiment expressed in the  tableau above. The parents of this young man were sitting quietly nearby and so we offered condolences.

Below-It is not a quiet place. Half a dozen bands were making the rounds serenading the dead.

Below- Children danced to the music on the graves !

Above-This rather odd sculpture about a foot high was all by itself without a grave around it. Maybe once there was.  A little mysterious as he seems to be sinking into the earth. Now it was in the middle of a path and in the dark of course one would trip right over it.

In nearby Chapala the streets were packed with people looking at each other and at the many altars set up along the closed streets..

This altar I called Stairway To Heaven. It had a Mayan temple leading up to The Crucifixion.

Below -The Gringas are not excluded from this event.

..and the end of an evening with creamy Mexican hot chocolate.

For more Day Of The Dead scroll to bottom of posting.

Mi amigos blog on same event is here.

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THE FIRE BALL GAME- WINTER SOLSTICE

Pelota purépcha (Spanish for “Purépecha ball”), called Uárukua Ch’anakua (literally “a game with sticks”) in the Purépecha language, is a Mexican sport similar to those in the Hockey family. A common variant, distinguished as pasárutakua in Purépecha, uses a ball which has been set on fire and can be played at night.  It is one of 150 pre-Hispanic Mexican games at risk of dying out.  Balls not intended to be set on fire were originally made from hundreds of monarch butterfly cocoons but are now made from natural fabrics. The fireball version is made from wood and used to be dipped in pine resin to be made flammable though today petrol is substituted.

The game, which originated in Michoacán, is believed to have been developed up to 3500 years ago and something very similar to pelota purépecha is depicted on the murals of the Palacio de Tepantitla at Teotihuacan.The sport originated as a representation of a Purepécha legend of a battle between day and night with the flaming ball signifying the sun and the players representing the movement of the universe.

After the sun had set the game was played on the beach by the lake. First a ceremony as always to the four directions.

I was not sure of the rules but the pitch looks like this with a fire ring in the centre. The game is played with five or more players.

Ajijic is hosting visiting artists and performers from the neighboring State of Michoucan. Just prior to this event in the afternoon these same people from Michoacan had performed the well known The Dance of The Old Men. in the village Plaza. One cannot help but laugh looking at these senile bent over old men.

Then the women came out to help do a dance about catching the fish in Lake Patzcuaro.

Below- Everything about these cultures is colourfull.

Here a display of their wood carvings and in the background one of the vendors colorfully dressed.

Below more subdued pottery in the red and white style.

Below this mandala is made from reeds from Lake Patzcuaro.

Below– This is on a wall in Ajijic. Instead of the donors buying a brick here-you buy a skull with your name on it !

Below– You can tell the locals versus the  visitors by the warm clothes they wear having to endure winter temperatures that may drop into the low seventies or sixties !

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MORE DAY OF THE DEAD

They say in Mexico there are three deaths.

The first is when you die. The second is when they bury you. The third is when no one remembers you anymore.

All over Mexico this is the day when the dead are remembered.

The cemetary or Pantheon in Ajijic is packed with families. Outside the gates vendors are selling flowers and foods and drinks. It is bad form to be drunk by the way. The dead can drink all they want though. Families sit by the tombs having picnics and just talking.

One picks ones way in the gathering dark around the tombs -some decorated and illuminated profusely and some just a single candle. All the while there is a cacophony of competing bands playing as a background.

A little hard to take great photos in the dark but here are some. Scroll down further for last years Day Of The Dead photos.

Below life size cut outs of the deceased.

Below what greeted me as I entered the cemetery.

Above-After the Pantheon in Ajijic on to the town of Chapala where the streets were closed to traffic and VERY lively and festive with altars set up along the side and families out strolling.

Above a typical altar made for the great figures both local and national. The one above was for Neil James the original “gringa” who came here to Lake Chapala in the thirties and made it a place for similar minded souls to come to.

Above and below- these designs on the ground were all made from colored wood chips.

Below-A family in the Paris Cafe next to us while we were finishing the evening having hot chocolate.

The Day Of The Dead season kicks off (for the gringos at least) with a yearly Thriller re-enactment. See it here.

Below- Friends who were participants. Which one is more scary?

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EASTER-SANTA SEMANA -No half measures for this event–except no real nails.

It was a beautiful day on Friday. One of the first of the “hot ones” we get before the rains.  Clouds like mares tails brushing across the clear deep blue sky and a stiff breeze off the lake.

All week (and the next week too) is the big holiday in Mexico. Santa Semana or Holy Week. Most businesses are closed and the streets are full of Tapatios (Guadalaharans) coming down to Ajijic to what is their “beach”.

Friday is also when the pageant of the Crucifixation is re-enacted. At noon after Mass in front of the church the entire cast of characters- Pontius Pilate, the priests, and the two thieves all gather on the front steps to re-enact the story.

Above-Around the players were four of what looked like gold plated statues. These turned out to be real figures standing stock still painted gold for several hours in hot sun.

It is an honor to be given to be the re-enactors for the crucifixion.

The procession winds through town and up to  a hill above town for the end actual crucifixion. It’s hot and dry this time of year and so it is a real endurance for these performers.

Meanwhile back in the village a festive atmosphere prevails. The streets of the village are taken over by restaurants and bars and cars are banished. The lakeside has lots of music and kite flying and dogs and kids rolling the lake water. Families encamp for the week in a makeshift village along the lakeside.

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DIA DEL MUERTOS

El Dia De Muertos -The Day Of The Dead-is perhaps the best known of Mexico’s festivals.

For several weeks beforehand one starts seeing Marigolds in the streets and children dressing up.

Above– The Panteon or cemetery here in Ajijic.

Candles inside giant balloons go up sometimes into the night sky. Sometimes more than that goes up into the sky.

Last night (Oct 31st we were in the plaza and it was packed with families, kids, young boys and girls eyeing each other up and of course dogs all strolling around in a giant circle.

At sunset there had been a parade through town with rockets and loud bangs along with brass bands of dubious accomplishment. Then the plaza fills up.

There were dancers in traditional native prehispanic dress with rythmic heavy drumming.

The dancers were superceded (no in addition-on top of ) by a band on the stage which I can barely describe. About twelve of them doing the most frenetic nervy jangling music that sounded like it belonged in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Then the fireworks began in front of the old church.

Above-A Castillo or metal tower is built about forty feet high. On it are Catherine wheels of fireworks. Unlike the U.S. which would have you cordoned off at a safe distance this was right over our heads almost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUENA NOCHE-CHRISTMAS EVE

In the church plaza here in Ajijic on Christmas Eve there is an assortment of still life tableaux depicting the nativity. It is all very sweet.

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THREE KINGS DAY

JANUARY 7th.

Yesterday was Three Kings Day which is when Christmas semi officially ends here in Mexico.

(Twelfth Night is what we used to call it). It culminates at least two weeks of festivities around Christmas.

In the neighboring village of Cajititlan over the hills to the north and with its own lake they REALLY celebrate it. Melchior -one of the Kings has a niche above the main front door of the ancient church and this event has been going on here in this village for five hundred years. Yesterday was the ultimate day of festivities with food stalls lining every small street, streamers and banners hanging between the houses and a carnival complete with a ferris wheel and spooky rides.

The Kings are wooden crowned statues and are usually kept in the church but on this day every year they are brought out to be paraded through the garlanded and flower strewn streets to the lake where they are carried aboard three launches and are then paraded around the Lake to bless everything. This is all accompanied by a flotilla of launches with local dignitaries, mariachi bands of various flavours and every boat sporting banners and more Mexican flags than I have ever seen. After an hour or so the movie plays in reverse and the Kings are carried back into the church and then balloons and confetti are released from the roof of the church over the throng in the plaza. All the while fireworks are exploding in that usual cacophony that accompanies Mexican events.

Above-The garlanded streets ready for the Parade

Below-This guy ahead of the parade cracks his whip to (a) drive away the bad spirits and (b) make way for the Three Kings as they pass by.

There was us two plus Dee a winter visitor from Canada and Jim a local who has guided us to many a Hacienda and local hikes. We got there early at around nine to find parking and get ourselves situated to photograph. Walking downhill into the town my first photo opportunity came up with a stall selling the special breads for this occasion. Brightly colored knotted circles and every one has a “gift” inside for the kids. At this point I realized that although I had charged up my battery I had neglected to actually put it in the camera. So I have no of ny own photos to show of what was a most unusual and fun filled day. Thankfully Jim Cook is allowing me to use some of his photos here

 Below- The clown

Below-warriors of a more ancient type.

We managed to actually get in the parade of launches out in the lake under clear blue skies and it was hard not to feel the exuberance and joy and veneration these people have for something which to us may be quite unknowable.

Below- the Kings make their way around the Lake.

Below-One of the accompanying launches with a  Mariachi band.

Below-Pirate boats would sneak up on us.

Below-the holiday bread mentioned above where I realized I had no camera batteries

See Jims blog about this same event from another year here….

Below-Some of the the many beautiful Senoritas

Above-Note the 3 Kings tattoos.

The festivities culminate in a shower of balloons and confetti.

Thanks again to Jim for allowing me to post these images.