Traditions

Capirotada (comida de cuaresma) is traditionally served during the Lenten period, especially on Good Friday. The recipe is even recorded as early as the 1640s. Each ingredient symbolizes the Passion of Christ and is a reminder of the suffering of Christ, especially on Good Friday.   There are many different combinations of these ingredients and additions to the recipe. But here are the symbols....

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. The first recorded Mardi Gras was in 1699. The first one in the United States was in Mobile, Alabama, started by a Frenchman named Nicolas Langlois, in 1703. The date changes every year in accordance with Easter and the beginning of Lent. This year it was on March 28th. The next day, Wednesday, is called Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. Lent lasts until...

This year the 39th annual Chili Cook-Off was again held at Todolandia Water Part. But it was much further up the hill. I, as usual, arrived too early, walked up that hill and was too tired to walk back down to watch the parade arrive. So all you are getting is a photo of the funny looking fish at the entrance of the park that I took on my way up the hill.  To me, it looks like a whimsical representation...

Constitution Day was on February 5th but it was celebrated as a national holiday on Monday, February 6th. Many stores were closed on the 6th but the parade was on Sunday, February 5th. I forgot about the holiday and happened to be walking around town when I saw people waiting along the side of the street to see the parade. So I waited for it too. I have gone to several Constitution Day parades and this was...

The Mexican Revolution started on November 20th 1910 and lasted for ten years. When the Mexican Constitution was enacted in 1917, that was close to the end of armed conflict. Porfirio Diaz had been president of Mexico for 35 years and he had a stranglehold on the country. He was ousted from power and exiled in France in 1911. The children loved being in the parade. Many schools were represented and...

The 15th Annual Feria Maestros del Arte was held at the Chapala Yacht Club on November 11th through the 13th. Friday and Saturday it was from ten a.m. To five p.m. Sunday it was from ten a.m. To four p.m. The entrance fee was only 50 pesos and the money goes to the next year's exhibition. The purpose of this event is to keep the indigenous and folk art alive in Mexico. Silver Boxes The modern world...

The Day of the Dead would more honesty be named The Days of the Dead because it goes on for several days, maybe weeks if you count all the fireworks that go off day and night for a week before and a week after this holiday. It is one of the biggest holidays of the year and if you ever get a chance to visit Mexico, don't miss it. Children go out trick or treating on the 31st of October. November 1st is the...

Mexican Independence celebrations start with the Globos. This year the Globos went up on Sept 10th. After that, every day was another event. I didn't have enough energy to see all of them. But I enjoyed what I managed to see. Mexican Independence Day is a celebration of Mexico's independence from Spain which started with Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla reading el Grito on Sept 16th, 1810. It was a...

The Globo Regatta was held on a Saturday, Sept. 10th. It is not only the lift off of the beautiful globos but also the lift off of the Independence Day celebrations that last all week. Something interesting is happening day and night until the day after Sept. 16th. Below is the photo of the globo that AccessLakeChapala sponsored with the "Si Lupita" team. It was successful and flew high into the...

Today is June 19th, 2016, Father's Day. I decided to go out this morning in search of a celebration honoring fathers. I thought it would be easy because I remember how exciting Mother's Day was in Ajijic. But it wasn't. There were no special celebrations in the plaza for fathers. No banners. No activities. Just one small flower stand. Father and daughter I know there is a special fathers golf...