What is Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead? Día de los Muertos is a time to honor and celebrate deceased loved ones. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with All Soul’s Day. Unlike Halloween, which is characterized by goblins, witches, and the occult, Day of the Dead, was initially […]
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In December in Oaxaca there’s a fiesta almost every day, which makes this colonial city one of the most popular holiday destinations for both foreigners and Mexicans. We describe below the main celebrations. For details on other events which are sure to pop up, check with the tourist office at García Vigíl and Independencia across from the […]
Continue ReadingI am nearly 55 years old. In the culture of the United States, where the desired ones, the members of the “In” crowd are YOUNG, I am not sure I would have just blurted out that information. If I had been seriously trying or needing to hide my age, I might have missed a wonderful […]
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Well, She came out to the lake again last Sunday. Driving in a specialized open car, The Virgin of Zapopan and the Bishop came from Her home, the Basilica of Zapopan to spend the day at the lake, bringing blessings, visiting friends and admirers in several of the lakeside communities. In all those lakeside communities, […]
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For many years, villages and towns in Mexico, have enacted special Biblical events and gathered to pray at specially erected altars to celebrate sacred figures on each of the Fridays of Lent. These special Lenten traditions, masses and processions remind the people of the lessons and sacrifices of the pre-Easter season. Our Lady of Sorrows, Nuestra […]
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Christianizing their way around Lake Chapala in the early 1500s, taking the path of least resistance, Franciscan missionaries left each well-established settlement of Indians with their centuries-old community name. As the Franciscans were moving from village to village, they were selecting a Patron Saint for each new congregation, then adding the Saint’s name to the […]
Continue ReadingIt happens all the time when I am talking with a Mexican friend as we walk or drive. In the midst of riveting conversation, she stops mid-word to touch her head, heart and shoulders and I realize we are passing a church. While a familiar custom around the world, even cradle Catholics are mystified by […]
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Chocolate, that perennial favorite, has been accused of being sinfully delicious, overly fattening, and the precursor to teenage complexion problems. Its history is intertwined with religion, and at one point was the cause of a theological donnybrook in the Catholic church in Mexico. “Food of the Gods,” is the literal translation of the name Theobroma. The name, […]
Continue ReadingFor centuries Indians have been leaving offerings of votive bowls and clay figurines in Lake Chapala for the deities of the waters. Today the Huichol Indians of Jalisco and Nayarit continue the tradition. But their story has a peculiar twist. One person’s mythology is another person’s religion. The Huichols have a vast store of both. […]
Continue ReadingAs a newcomer to the area, I wonder if your excellent magazine could assist me in understanding a couple of things. Is it correct that the language of this area at the time of the conquistadors was Nahuatl, the language of the Azteca? If so, when did the language cease to be used around the […]
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