“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King
December 12 … is a BIG Mexican celebration in honor of our Lady of Guadalupe; on this day it was recorded that she appeared to Juan Diego.
Towns all over Mexico celebrate this day with pageantry, native dancers, mariachis, processions, and little boys dressed in indigenous clothing dressed as Juan Diego. Millions of believers pilgrimage to the Basilica in Mexico City … some of the most devout will actually proceed there on their knees for many kilometers.
The apparition over several days ends with The Virgin arranging Castilian roses in Juan’s tilma, or cloak, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak before archbishop Zumárraga on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
We noticed a few days before the 12th the local church bells rang a bit erratic, and the cohetes (fireworks) were set off at all hours (and I mean ALL hours) and their numbers vary. We asked MariaElena, our housekeeper, and she told us that for nine days, for the Novenario, each guild or union gets to ring the bells and direct mass and other celebrations in and around the church. As to the cohetes – as much money as they had raised equals how many cohetes are set off……she told us that we should hang out at the town square to soak in the experience…..sadly other commitments kept us away, we’ll certainly participate next year.
Did you know that the Village People produced a Christmas album? Who knew?! We found this out at our Sit ‘n Fit class and it was fun to exercise to it. We also heard my least favorite song in the world = “Feliz Navidad” sang to a disco beat & still hate it.
We ventured again to the big city, to my new, favorite foodie temple, City Market, with a side visit to Bed Bath and Beyond, and guess what? They take coupons! So if you plan on visiting, please bring ‘em down 🙏
We added three more Christmas trees to our collection … two courtesy of our friend, Cheryl. They’re wood sticks assembled and shaped like a Xmas 🌲. I quickly sprayed them white to give them a frosty look ~ a beautiful addition to our ever-expanding group of Arboles.
During Jeannette’s recent visit I sent her home with these beautifully handmade tortilla warmers as gifts and my yoga ladies found a new use for them, as Fascinators! Who knew that they could be so fashionable!
We’re set to take off on our first road trip………..driving west to PV (Puerto Vallarta) for a few days of relaxation, heat, and shared time with our friends, Judith and Steve, who are SOB for their holidays.
