Yesterday, February 2, was a Mexican Holiday. I asked Carl about it because he knows many things about Mexico and Cozumel. And I asked Google, the source of all wisdom!
Before we talk about February 2, you have to know about January 6 because they`re kindof related events.
January 6 is "King's Day", the day the 3 wise men arrived at the manger. It`s the last day of Christmas festivities in Mexico. People exchange gifts and someone brings a sweet bread with decorations with at least one figurine of Jesus in it. If you get a figurine in your piece of bread, you make tamales for everyone at the February 2 party.
February 2 is a combination of Catholic and native Mexican traditions that is fourty days after Christmas, and is called the Day of the Candles or the Presentation of Christ at the Temple. According to Jewish law it was customary to bring a baby to the temple after fourty days, so Jesus would have been taken to the temple on February 2nd. February 2nd is also the mid-way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, a day that is said to predict weather to come. Like Groundhog Day, the Mexican way. On this day, there are usually processions, dancing, the blessing of the seeds and candles, and bullfights in certain cities.
Pictures
1- the type of decorated sweet bread served on January 6, Kings day
2 - this display is in the central market, a symbol of the importance of religion in Mexico
3 - the inside of a relatively new church, very pretty!
4 - outside of the same church, notice the chairs under the palm trees, maybe for outdoor mass, or some form of religious observation
No comments:
Post a Comment