Rituals

Virgen de Guadalupe Novenas

Virgen de Guadalupe Novenas

Last night was the 6th Novena for the Guadalupe in our neighborhood. Each day more people come and live music arrived on the fourth Novena. Don’t let the peacefulness of it fool you or make you nostalgic for simpler times because once it got started, […]

The Blessing of San Miguel

The Blessing of San Miguel

Pilgrimage of San Miguel to the Parroquia to be blessed for the upcoming town celebration – The Festival of San Miguel 2011 Blessing of San Miguel from Suzanne da Rosa on Vimeo. This Weekend’s Festivities:

Locos Parade 2011

Locos Parade 2011

Every June in San Miguel de Allende, they celebrate the feast day of San Antonio de Padua with first, Rockets beginning at about 4am, followed by religious processions and masses and a full size carnival with lots of kiddie rides, ending a week later with […]

Living in the Neighborhoods

Living in the Neighborhoods

I won’t say that wonderful events don’t happen downtown, because they do. But when things happen out in the neighborhoods they have a character all their own, an organic feel to them – like everyone just chipped in whatever they had that day and said […]

Semana Santa Processions

Semana Santa Processions

Photos from the stations of the cross processions and Good Friday’s  Santo Encuentro procession. Photos from the stations of the cross processions and Good Friday’s  Santo Encuentro procession.    

Palm Sunday, 2011

Palm Sunday, 2011

For starters, a few photos.. more to come

Viernes de Dolores

Viernes de Dolores

Viernes de Dolores, Friday of sorrows, the day that altars are built to honor Mary’s pain. Our neighbor constructed this beautiful altar this morning and is serving drinks and snacks to everyone who comes by today to visit.

Pilgrimage from Atotonilco to San Miguel

Pilgrimage from Atotonilco to San Miguel

Two sunday’s before Easter, Sr. de la Columna, the Virgin of Dolores and San Juan are removed from their places in the santuario, wrapped in silk scarves, covered, then carried in an all night pilgrimage to San Miguel for the upcoming Semana Santa celebrations and […]

Virgin of Guadalupe

Virgin of Guadalupe

Today is the Virgin of Guadalupe’s day. December 12th. Last night, two streets down, our neighbors held the last novena for the Guadalupe and sang songs to her from 7PM until… well, they are still singing.  I awoke several times during the night to the […]

More Celebrations

More Celebrations

Last weekend, in an overnight to the city of Guanajuato, the neighborhood behind our hotel was having their saints day celebration.  Mid-afternoon, a procession which was headed for the church passed by the restaurant we were having lunch at, blasting off loud rockets to a […]

Corpus Christi 2010

Corpus Christi 2010

In last month’s Corpus Christi procession, Elvia’s son Beto was invited by personal invitation to carry the flowered litter, holding the chalice, in the procession. This is a big honor to anyone, and especially for a devout 18 year old young man. Early in the […]

Mega Bombas!

Mega Bombas!

They call them Mega Bombas And there’s a bunch on this video – Along with the firing of the canons, The men battling, Exploding sledgehammers, and a few photos. 2011 Sledgehammer Fireworks from Suzanne da Rosa on Vimeo. 2011 Sledgehammer Fireworks Festival from Suzanne da […]

Carnaval San Miguel Style

Carnaval San Miguel Style

There’s not much going on here for Carnaval, but in the Jardin, you can buy gorgeous hand made paper flowers, accordion legged ‘payasitos’ – little clowns – paper masks and confetti filled eggs – cascarones – which the children run around with – war style […]

Candelaria

Candelaria

February 2 – the candlemas, groundhog day in the United States, a cross quarter celebration world-wide, is known here in Mexico as the candelaria, celebrated the 40th day after Christ’s birth, the day Jesus was presented to the temple.  Never mind that the reason it […]

New Years 2010!

New Years 2010!

Last week we found a luchador wrestler pinata and bought it thinking we would have one  for the kids on our street at new years. Yesterday, we went next door and got 10 year old Ariel to come fill the pinata.  When he was done […]

Seven Deadly Sins

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 […]

Buenos días, Paloma Blanca

Buenos días, Paloma Blanca

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 […]

Nacimiento Babes

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 […]

Virgen de Guadalupe

Virgen de Guadalupe

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 […]

Santa Cecilia

Santa Cecilia

On the way into town yesterday, at the bottom of our hill, we ran into a several groups of mariachis singing to a statue of Santa Cecelia, who was resting on a litter, garnished in flowers, carried by two modern young women, chewing bubble gum. […]

Community Altar

Community Altar

There’s too much going on today with getting ready to go up to the States tomorrow for Andreas’ first birthday to write a big post, but here’s a short follow up on the last few days with some photos from  yesterday. I spent most of […]

Six Months Later

Six Months Later

I met up with  Elvia and her four daughters at the cemetery today.  She was late so I waited in front for an hour, arms full of flowers – you know me by now, trying to video people coming in with flowers, buckets, shovels, eating […]

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos

The preparations have begun There are flower sellers everywhere. Home altars are being created, Car repair, shoe and small tiendas Have transformed into flower shops. You can’t avoid the papel picado banners or skeletons. Although Monday is officially the day, Families are already in the […]

Wedding Getaways

Wedding Getaways

Last Saturday John was walking downtown When he crossed paths with a wedding getaway, A couple on their decked out motorcycle, Four women gathering the bride’s skirt up Tucking her in, and off they went. With a double police escort On motorcycles, of course In […]

Festival of San Miguel Parade

Festival of San Miguel Parade

Sunday morning. 10:30 AM. Since midnight Friday night, the partying has been going on. The parade of the estrellas (stars) at midnight, followed by dancing and events in the Jardin until 4am when las mananitas – happy birthday song to San Miguel, the patron saint […]