Lizeth Rivas
English 100
September 14, 2015
The Virgin of Guadalupe
The Virgin of Guadalupe is unique to Mexican culture, and the big Virgin of Guadalupe festival is celebrated on December 12th. For Catholic religion, Guadalupe is the patron of all the Mexicans. Also, Mexicans respect her because she has made many miracles. On December 12th, people from all parts of Mexico celebrate with a traditional fair and mass ceremony in her honor. Over the years, this ceremony has become a holiday. In fact lot of people travel to Mexico to be there to celebrate this tradition. I had lived in Mexico for fourteen years and I had enjoyed this celebration until before coming here. This holiday is a party that include food, dances, and clothing. According to folklore, the virgin of Guadalupe appeared in one mountain and since then she has become very special for Mexicans. For this reason “El dia de la virgen de Guadalupe” become a lovable day to celebrate. However, many of the festivals traditions has been lost for me now that I live in The United States.
Perhaps the most significant tradition is to make tamales. For Mexicans tamales are essential in a holidays. When I lived in Mexico, my community used to make special food, for example Tamales, Bunuelos, and ponche. When the mass in church is done, everyone brought the food to the church and everybody share with the other people. All the people who brought something to eat for the ceremony put it all together on the table. Also, there are two different flavors for tamales the sweet and the spicy. In addition, bunuelos is a fried dough ball. People also used to make ponche , which is a hot drink that is made different kinds of fruit. Since, I arrived to the United States, Mexican celebrate the day of the virgin of Guadalupe making food, but they just share it with the family. In the United States people attended to mass, but they do not celebrate and share the food with the community. In this country, people attend to mass, but after that every family celebrate by themselves and not with the community.
Moreover, in Mexico people used to make dances the church. People who want to participate in the dance had to practice before the celebration. Those dances are very fun and interesting. The musicians use drums during the dance, and they also use masks to make the community laugh. Those dances attract a lot of people in the town. Those group do not need music, because they make their own sounds with the drums. However, in the United States, people do not do these kinds of dances that people do in Mexico. In this country, people who believe in the virgin of Guadalupe go to church in the mornings and listen to the “ Mananitas” for her birthday and celebrate the holiday.
In addition, on December 12th people who participate in the dance wear traditional clothes. All of the people who dance wear the same kind of clothes, but in different colors. On the back of the clothes, there were an image of the virgin. They also used a duster hat which is a brush for dusting, made of a bundle. Another thing that this group of people who dance put in the clothes are slats of different colors. The clothes that they wear are handmade. However, in the United States, Mexicans do not dress in these traditional festivals. All of the people who believe in the Virgin, attend to the celebration. People who live in this country do not like to follow the traditions, that people wear in the cloths such an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Virgin of Guadalupe had a son, but she did not have intimacy with her husband. My family is
Mexican, but we do not celebrate on the same way that as when we lived in Mexico. Whenever this
holiday approaches, I would like to travel to Mexico and have a fun time because I believe that this
day is special way to spend with your family. American people should go to Mexico to try out this
tradition and learn about it. For me, this day is important because I believe in her. This holiday was
an important part of my childhood.
