Crisscrossing the streets of town are the brightly colored paper flags that identify a variety of fiestas.  The flags are a tradition with deep roots and with a bit of color knowledge you’ll know exactly what is being celebrated. If you’ve seen the movie Coco the flags are …

When circling town from the libramiento (beltway) and passing by the Santa Julia neighborhood there is a large mural featuring many Mexican artists.  One appears to be angry grandmother with some pain-inducing denture issues.  She is Sara Garcia, an actress whose work spread from the …

By Joaquin Sierra Rangel The Saturday before the feast of St. Michael the Archangel La Alborada has been carried out for nearly 100 years, since 1924.  The long history involves our factory, railroad and nuns alongside stars, music and gunpowder. The factory opened in 1902 …

Xuchiles are funeral offerings in the form of flowers and cacti about two meters wide and the height of a story and half building.  They are intricate to the Chichimeca (indigenous hunter gatherers) celebrations of the town’s namesake, St. Michael the Archangel’s, feast day here. The …

Look for native dancers in front of the Parroquia from dawn until dusk the first Friday of March, a tradition spanning over 400 years. The dancers are venerating El Señor de la Conquista, a 1575 statue of Christ housed in the Parroquia that was carried by …

Mexicans use March 17th  to honor the San Patricios. These Irish immigrants to the U.S. were drafted into the army and sent to fight in the Mexican-American War (1846-48). Dismayed at fighting fellow Catholics and suffering from mistreatment by their Protestant commanders, hundreds of the Irish soldiers deserted to …

For over a century the most popular souvenirs from Mexico were a series of paintings depicting racially mixed families and how they were genetically formed among the Spaniards, indigenous and Africans.  This compelling and unique pictorial genre is known as caste (or casta) paintings created …

Dynamic blends of indigenous and Spanish heritage enrich the history of the Mexico; yet, for hundreds of years, Mexican women were restrained by the strong patriarchal traditions of this heritage.  A father’s authority was beyond question.  The strict moral code established by the Church and prevailing …

Mercedes, a senior in my English classes, introduced me to danzon, a style of dance (like tap, square dancing or salsa), forever changing how I experience Mexico.  Through danzon I performed at festivals around town and the country, taught classes hither and yon for years, …

The horse was essential to the Spanish Inquisition and occupation of Mexico.  The horse was transportation, communication, wealth and companionship all in one friendly foal. The horse sailed over from Spain with the conquistadors arriving in 1519 with Hernan Cortes’ 16 horses with names like Bob-Tail and Morzillo.  The …