Traditions

This year we were lucky. The Globos Celebration came off without rain but as you can see from these photos, the sky was very overcast. The next day it started raining and we have had rain for days now. The gods must have been looking down on us last Saturday to keep the rains at bay for the day. The date was Sept. 14th and the place was the grounds on Revolucion street. In order to save myself a good seat,...

Children's Day was Tuesday April 30th in Mexico. No classes on that day, just games and parties, pinatas and other great things for the children to do. In 1954, the General Assembly of the United Nations recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day.  So this is a huge holiday all over the world, not just in Mexico. Most countries celebrate it on June 1st. The celebration in this...

The 35th Annual Mexican National Chili Cook-Off was held on the 22, 23,24, of February in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. Their hours were from 11 to 5 p.m. every day. It was held at the Tobolandia Water Park on the Libramiento. This year it was closer into the water park and away from the dust that we had to experience the past couple of years. The weather was beautiful. Entrance fee was only twenty pesos and it...

Mardi Gras is a French word meaning Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday refers to eating rich and fatty foods the day before fasting of the Lent Season. Ash Wednesday starts off Lent.  Fat Tuesday is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday from the word Shrive. Shrive means "confess" which relates to the Lent season. Fat Tuesday is the last day of Carnival season, a time of parties and letting go of inhibitions...

The Day of the Dead is one of the biggest holidays in Mexico. It lasts for three days. During that time, people clean up the graves of their departed loved ones and create altars in front of their homes or at the graves. The children run around and trick or treat, just as they do in the States. There are parties and lots of loud bangs of the firecrackers and cohetes. It is believed that the noises scare...

The Ajijic Art Street show was held on October 13th and 14th, Saturday and Sunday. It was a two day event. It started in the morning and lasted until the evening with art, music, dancing, food and fun.  Ajijic is a center for the arts. There were many different kinds of art work on display; oils, acrylics, watercolors, sculptures, photographs, etc. Most of the art work was for sale. All the artists...

The rodeo was scheduled to start at four in the afternoon. Very few people showed up at that time, mostly expats. I am assuming that the Mexicans didn't take an opening time too seriously. As we say in Ajijic, M.T. (Mexican time) or E.T. (Expat time).  This event was on M.T. It didn't open until almost six p.m. But the wait was worthwhile. What else is there to do in Mexico except sit in the sunshine and...

The Mexican Independence Day celebrations actually start on the night of Sept. 15th.  Every plaza in Mexico has  a reading of El Grito de Delores, just before midnight. That is the proclamation that Father Miguel Hidalgo, a Catholic Priest, read in the small town of Dolores in Guanajuto, MX. on Sept. 15th, 1810. This proclamation started the uprising that became a war against Spain. It lasted for eleven...

Every year there is the Regatta de Globos, hot air balloons. It is held in the main soccer field on Revolution street in Ajijic. It is one of the most popular events of the year in Lake Chapala and is always held on the Saturday before Independence day (Sept. 16.).  The Globos are made weeks in advance by various groups of volunteers. Some of them are sponsored by local churches. Some are sponsored by...

Sundays on the Ajijic Plaza are always fun. Many times there are various art and craft shows and events on the plaza. It is a great place to meet up with friends. There is always music, entertainment and lots of fun to be had. Canadian Couple Enjoying Ice Cream on the Ajijic Plaza The Ajijic Society of Arts and Crafts had a show this past Sunday. I love to see all the beautiful things and paintings...