Traditions

This year, the Mardi Gras parade was on March 5th, Tuesday.  It is always on a Tuesday, the day before Lent. Called Fat Tuesday. It is big celebration before a time of fasting, praying and and sober reflection. The Ajijic parade started on Revolution Street, went down Constution to Six Corners and back to the plaza. There were crowds lining the streets all the way. Float Access Lake Chapala Real...

Once again, the Mexican National Chili Cook-off was held on the Tobolandia waterpark grounds, from February 15, 16, through Sunday the 17th, 2019. This is the 41st annual Chili Cook-Off. In case you don't feel like counting backwards, it started in 1978. Were you here then? I have talked with several people who were here for some of the first ones. They all told me that the Cook-Off was always a...

The 17th Annual Feria Maestros del Arte was again held at the yacht club in Chapala. It is a beautiful location on the water. This year it was almost In the water as the lake was the highest it has been in many years. I put a photo of the lake in this article. I went on Sunday. I like to go on the last day because it is usually less crowded that day. It started on Friday, November 9th and lasted through...

Every town in Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) in their local plazas.  Ajijic had one of the largest celebrations I have seen since moving here twelve years ago. This year they had altars up and Catrinas. Many more people were celebrating the holiday there than in previous years. It all happened on Friday late afternoon and night, November 2nd. Above is a photo of one of...

Halloween is also called the Día de las Brujas in Spanish. The Day of the witches. We are going to follow some little witches and goblins on their trick-or-treat adventure and I will give you some facts along the way. Maybe a few things that you didn't know. Halloween in Mexico is not a public holiday but it is celebrated just the same. Not in any different ways than in the USA or other countries...

The 2018 Thriller the World, TTW, Dance was held this year on Saturday, October 27th. It is always the Saturday before Halloween. There were a hundred participants. The age range was from 85 years old down to 4 years old. I am not sure yet, but they may have broken a world record for the group of oldest Thriller dancers in the world. Practice They had been practicing for many weeks for the dance,...

Combate de Flores, means war of the flowers, it is held each year in Ajijic, Lake Chapala Mexico. It is actually the opposite of war. It is a mating ritual, about love. It started when Mexicans all over the country got rid of their guns after the War. It was the exchange of guns for flowers. Couple dancing Plazas in towns of all sizes  started a tradition of using flowers as a way for young men to...

The children's (and adults) games are held every year on the fifteenth of September in the Ajijic Plaza. Other events happen after the games. A mariachi band played this year and the reading of the Grito. Then more music and dancing. I wasn't able to stay through all of the events but I saw the games. Two young girls The red, green, and white colors of the Mexican flag were seen all over town and...

The Mexican Independence Day parade was held on September 16th, 2018. It started on Revolution street and went through town, to six corners and back to the plaza. As usual, most of the participants in this parade are school children.  Thousands of school children all over Mexico get out with their teachers and parents to march. They are dressed in their school uniforms. They sometimes do intricate...

The Rebozo Fashion Show was held in the Ajijic Plaza the evening of September 9th, 2018.  I always enjoy seeing the women in their beautiful rebozos. In English, rebozo means shawl. So this event is to celebrate the shawls. And the women. It was supposed to start at six in the evening but they were on Mexican time, meaning an hour and a half later. In the meantime, I walked around the plaza taking photos....