© Copyright 2000 by Tony Burton. All rights reserved.
Queries: 433, Baden Powell St., Box 4, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1A1, Canada
Tel/Fax:(250) 245-0772
E-mail - His Home Page
(Each image is a link to a larger image)
Which village in Mexico celebrates the passing of the Old Year and the entrance of the New in the most unusual way? Almost certainly, the village of Santa Rosa Xochiac, just thirty minutes by car south-west of Mexico City, and still inside the Federal District. There are two churches in this village and, on December 31, a statue of the Virgin is carried in stately procession, brass band included, from her regular home in the small church, to her temporary "holiday-home" in the large one. The distance between the two churches is about two kilometers and, lest the Virgin be offended by her surroundings, the entire length of her route is elaborately decorated. Strung overhead, a variety of ingenious objects made of paper, plastic and straw, swing in the light breeze. Beneath the Virgin's palanquin is laid an extraordinary carpet of colored sawdust, arranged into artistic and inventive patterns. No-one, not even the bearers of the palanquin, dares to step on this carpet until after the Virgin has passed by on her way to the village plaza.
The central part of the plaza has previously been turned into a giant, multicolored, sawdust carpet. Each year, the designs seek to outdo those of the year before in complexity and creativity. Floral patterns are often chosen - this is particularly appropriate since the village's name derives from "place of flowers". Each year, the designs take longer and longer to create and more expert hands are needed. When the Virgin arrives, an open-air mass brings the old year to a close.
The sawdust carpet of the New Year fiesta may seem like a tradition with roots far in the misty pre-Columbian past, but is actually less than 25 years old. It began when local community leaders visited Huamantla, Tlaxcala, for that village's August 15th fiesta. They returned entranced by Huamantla's famous flower-carpet, and convinced that Santa Rosa could do something similar.
From mid-December, tall, seasonally decorated, pine trees are temporarily installed in the small church; the church is one of the very few in Mexico where you can witness prehispanic Indian dances being performed inside a post-Conquest religious building. Once begun, the Christmas - New Year fiesta lasts for several days, with a full complement of games, entertainment, fireworks and fun.
Even though only 26.5 kilometers separate Santa Rosa Xochiac from Mexico City, in terms of lifestyles, they may as well be on different continents. Besides the New Year fiesta, the villagers also revel in their August fiesta in honour of Santa Rosa.
For a break from serious fiesta-watching, it is worth combining a trip to Santa Rosa with a visit to the Desierto de Los Leones National Park, about four kilometers away. In the middle of what was the country's first National Park, established in 1917, is a lovely exconvent. It is easy to see why the Barefoot Carmelites chose this setting for their retreat, less easy to see why they went barefoot. The cool, crisp mountain air at this altitude (about 3,000 meters above sea level) and the huge, old, oak, pine and sacred fir trees are conducive to thinking about the sublime realities of another, higher, order. There is such a maze of tracks and paths crisscrossing the 1800-hectare park that it is easy to get lost, and not just in contemplation.
Adding to the freshness of this awesome forest are many cool springs and small streams. A profusion of seasonal wildflowers adds color to the dim light filtering through the trees. The Desierto de Los Leones National Park is an ideal place for camping, picnicking, or, for those too lazy to cook for themselves, sampling the delicious barbecued meat accompanied by blue-corn tortillas prepared at one of dozens of small food stands.
And how did this forest acquire the name "Desierto"?...
To read the entire article, we invite you to join our family of subscribers... it isn't expensive. A monthly subscription is just $5.00 USD - that's $1.15 per week. An annual subscription costs $30.00 USD - only $2.50 per month or 58 cents per week. We think you'll find it's money well spent.
To see more of Tony's articles and tours, click
