TRAVEL The festivities which often include
dancing, contests, food, and music, are highlighted by the numerous processions. Various groups are formed, sometimes by neighborhood, or by unions, or companies, or even large families, and they each create their own procession clogging city streets and terminating at the various churches throughout the city or village where spe- cial masses are held.
candles and/or singing. It’s a colorful and moving event, and in the larger towns there are so many processions, they start several days before December 12. In the meanwhile, busses are rerouted and every- thing comes second to the tradition. One time, diverted by a Guadalupe
procession in Tijuana, we discovered one street totally devoted to food booths. We were soon sitting among little mus- tachioed “Juan Diegos” munching tacos when a TV crew noticed a couple of “gringos” in their midst. I suppose our brief interview was aired on the local television that night. One December 12 in Zihu-
Eleborate costumes mark La Dia de Guadalupe. A typical procession features marching
drummers and trumpets, dancers in native costume, a single float usually depicting Juan Diego and the Lady of Guadalupe, and lastly the entire group, generally carrying
atanejo our attention alternated from processions marching by with entertainment from a wooden stage set up in the center of town. Traditional dancing, singing, and lots of food made it a fascinating Mexican celebration. Enterprising photographers posed little Juan Diegos on donkeys, or against a backdrop of the Tepeyac scene. There were even some dancers in scary straw costumes that shook
and vibrated their way into the church. Un- fortunately they were so real I noticed the mascara mustache of one little boy begin to run. Last year, we even left for Puerto Val-
The faithful crowd the Puerta Vallarta streets on December 12.
larta a few days earlier than originally planned to catch the Dia de Guadalupe cel- ebrations there. The processions, one after another for days, were colorful and fasci- nating. But what really caught our atten- tion was the food, much of it from various Mexican cuisines. We ate off the streets for three days. We found Pozole as good as they make it in Guerrero, and Oaxacan pollo (chicken) mole tamales wrapped in banana leaves that melted in your mouth. Add crepes and incredible pastries and I was sorry to see the vendors pack up and leave. One tamale lady gave us her dates (Dec. 1-12) and location for this year. Pretty tempting. After the intense early December
Guadalupe celebrations, you’d think that would be enough party for a long time, but the time-honored Christmas Posadas im- mediately follow – nine more days of fes- tivities leading right up to Christmas. And then, of course, following that is
New Year’s, and then Kings Day (Jan. 6), and so on throughout the year. Did I men- tion that Mexicans love their fiestas?b
Greg Niemann, a long-time San Clemente Journal contributor, is the au- thor of Baja Fever, Baja Legends, Palm Springs Legends, Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS, and newly released Las Vegas Legends. Visit
www.gregniemann.com.
Spectacular View Vacation Rentals!
Jerry Quinlan Proprietor
426 Monterey Lane San Clemente, CA
Quinlan Properties (949) 369-1049
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