Traditions
Here you will find most of our Christmas traditions.
Virgin of Guadalupe
Here in Mexico we celebrate the 12 of December in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. That day she appeared to one boy named Juan Diego. He told the priests that he saw her, but they didn’t believe him. They asked for a sign and he went back to tell the Virgin. She told him to pick some flowers on top of the mountain and he was surprised that they were Castille roses. The Virgin touched them and sen Juan Diego on his way. The red part of the dress has flowers, Juan Diego brought them to the priest and when he opened his "tilma" (covering used by the indigenous tribe); her image was stamped on it. Many people have investigated the painting and no one can say how it was made. The original is in Mexico City in the Cathedral of Guadalupe. If you investigate they say you can find Juan Diego in the reflection in her eyes. She is the patron saint of Mexico.
Los de Afuera (Outside Sing) |
Los de Adentro (Inside Sing) |
I. En el nombre del cielo os pido posada pues no puede andar mi esposa amada. |
II. Aquí no es mesón sigan adelante yo no puedo abrir no sea algún tunante. |
III. Venimos rendidos desde Nazaret; yo soy carpintero de nombre José. |
IV. No me importa el nombre déjeme dormir pues ya les he dicho que no voy a abrir. |
V. Posada te pide amado casero por una sola noche la Reina del Cielo. |
VI. Pues si es una reina quien lo solicita ¿cómo es que de noche anda tan solita? |
VII. Mi esposa es María, es Reina del Cielo y Madre va a ser del Divino verbo. |
VIII. ¿Eres tú, José? ¿Tu esposa es María? Entren, peregrinos, no los conocía. |
IX. Dios pague, señores, su gran caridad y los colme el cielo de felicidad. |
X. Dichosa la casa que alberga este día a la Virgen Pura la hermosa María. |
| All sing while they open the doors: | |
Christmas is when all the families get together and celebrate that Jesus was born on December 25. We have a big christmas tree with angels at the top, llights and ornaments with a little representation of Belen and there are the 3 wise kings, animals, the baby Jesus in the manger. We go to church to give thanks and almost all of the people are happy. They laugh, talk and open the gifts.
New Year is a very special day celebrated on the eve of the 31st of December. At 12:00 p.m. we eat 12 grapes representing the 12 months of the year. Every grape you eat is a goal for something you have to accomplish that year. We pop fireworks, eat ham and stay up late playing games.
On the 6th of January we celebrate that the three wise men visited the Baby Jesus. Baltasar, Gaspar, and Melchor gave the little Jesus three special gifts. Gold and silver, myrrh, incense. That is why the “Rosca” is decorated with candied fruit, because of the gifts. The traditions is that the one that gets the little angel inside the “rosca de los reyes ” brings the “tamales” to the party on the second of February.
The 2nd of February we celebrate the day of the Candelaria. We change the baby Jesus to a little throne where he will stay all year long. The 2nd of February the persons who got the angel from the Rosca have to bring tamales.
Material researched by all the GVC AIM group.
Pictures bibliography:
Little Boy picture made by Ms. Milana's students in Russia as contribution to our project.
Rosca de reyes
http://mx.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=rosca+de+reyes&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-img-t340&x=wrt
Virgin of Guadalupe
http://mx.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=virgen+de+guadalupe&fr=FP-tab-img-t340&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8
Posadas
http://mexico.udg.mx/arte/posadas/posadas2.html
Pinatas
http://mexico.udg.mx/arte/posadas/pinatas.html
Christmas
http://www.aciprensa.com/Banco/images/navidad1.jpg
New Year
http://www.munivaldivia.cl/noticias/enero/fotos/anonuevo2.jpg
