#1 Rated San Miguel Tour Guide & Author
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 …
Saint John of God (Juan de Dios) was a Portuguese-born soldier turned health-care worker at 42 following a nervous breakdown. The order he formed in Spain, the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God, continues today dedicated to the care of the poor sick and those suffering from mental …
The Friday before Good Friday is for Our Lady of Sorrows. It acknowledges Mary’s seven sorrows stretching from Jesus’ presentation at the temple and culminate in her pain at losing her only child. Altars throughout town contain symbolic elements of mourning such as sour oranges, chamomile, wheat and purple …
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 …
Beginning at midnight in a procession of thousands of people, this life-sized figure of the beaten and bloody Christ is carried from Atotonilco to San Miguel on the shoulders of the faithful. The statue is very old and molded from traditional Chichimeca materials—corn stalks, corn starch and …
March 19th is St. Joseph’s Day. San José, the husband of the Virgin Mary, is one of the patron saints of San Miguel and the patron saint of the Catholic church. Today is marked by a late afternoon parade featuring many depictions of St. Joseph, fireworks and …
For Palm Sunday (El Domingo de Ramos) vendors will be selling beautiful items made of hand woven palm fronds in front of all the main churches today. Some of the best are sold at the Oratorio. For over 20 years at around 10 am at …
During Holy Week are countless processions devoted to depicting Jesus’ death. One of the oldest, that started in Colonial times, follows the route of the Stations of the Cross built into the buildings of San Miguel. The stations start from the Santa Escuela (next to …
The Tuesday before Holy Week is dedicated to the Divine Prisoner (Divino Preso) focusing on when Jesus was in prison awaiting Crucifixion. To celebrate the clergy from Sana Escuela (the church next to the Parrochia) would have food prepared especially for the prisoners in San Miguel’s jail. …
Following an ancient San Miguel tradition, people visit seven churches today to view special altars depicting Jesus before his death and eat various types of bread. The lines to enter can be very long, so visiting any seven can take some time. Luckily outside any church are food …
On Good Friday, there are two major Catholic rituals celebrated in two different churches at different hours. One is the encounter of Jesus with the Virgin Mother on the road to Mount Calvary during the Stations of the Cross that takes place in several streets surrounding the jardin. …
Today is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection featuring huge piñatas that explode over the jardin. The piñatas feature politicians, Judas and celebrities not in good public favor whose dismembered paper body parts are quickly gathered by local children and sold to visitors. It is an emotional …