Strange Customs

Those watching will realize that I have not blogged for some time. Have been up to the usual on the reno project and also the TV has interfered with my usual routine as I catch up on a few flicks and watch the strange programming. There are lots of music and living/talk programs, some good sports (lots of European and LA football) and some good offerings of European, American and other films. I have opted out of all the English language programming but many of the films are in English with Spanish subtitles which I tell myself is good for my linguistic study.

Christmas in Mexico is practiced in a largely religious context. Decoration is similar, with trees and lights, but everywhere is the ubiquitous piñata usually formed in the shape of a seven point star (representing the seven sins maybe) and filled with all manner of candy that children fight over when it is finally broken. The piñata is of course not specific to Christmas but evident at all Mexican fiestas. Whole businesses revolve around the manufacture of these colorful items.

The religious side of Christmas here is “made in Mexico” and is quite different to what is common in Canada outside of the manger scene, which is everywhere and featured live animals in el Jardin. It comes from the practice of the converting Spanish priests who had to make up their own stories of the birth of Christ that could be understood and incorporated into existing religious traditions by the local population at the time. Every church has a big ceremony featuring these unique traditions leading up to Christmas and they vary significantly regionally. Christmas itself is largely a family affair culminating with mass on Christmas Eve followed by a big meal. Christmas day is very quiet, due mainly to the fact that everyone has been up all night.

Santa Clause is conspicuously absent from all of this and gift giving appears to be largely familial and relatively low-key and includes a lot of special food items that are traditional including fancy pastries and special salsas. There is a day when children are given gifts (January 6 – Dia de Los Reyes - Day of the Wise Men) but you would not recognize the black-bearded character associated with this day as a Santa. It is indeed impressive that with the US so close the usual Xmas BS from there has not penetrated very effectively.

There was a large protest this year from the vendors of children’s things (there are lots of fairs leading up to 6 Jan) because they felt the city was not giving them the space they deserved in which to flog their wares. They won and the upshot was that we could not park on my street for three days because of a detour buses and other vehicles had to make around the street where the vendors had set up their shops around the nearby San Rafael Market.

New Years is celebrated in much the same way as in the rest of NA with enormous amounts of fireworks that finally sputter out about two days later. They drive Greg nuts but he finally settled down when it became nothing but a dull roar at close to midnight. I went to sleep early because, being one hour behind, was able to watch New York at eleven and in any case the power went off at around eleven thirty. All of the local restaurants offer a NYear deal at outrageous prices directed at tourists and I gather are not worth the effort - not that I would make the effort for that kind of event wherever I was.

Lovely sunny day here in paradise again with a high of 26 and a low of 11. I posted a picture of my old house shrouded in that white stuff. The picture came to me courtesy of my former neighbors who continue to try to make me feel homesick. Good luck!