SPRING is the season of renewal, of hope, fertility and of light after the darkness of winter. All human cultures have created rituals to celebrate this cycle of regeneration.

The Jewish Passover, commemorating their freedom from slavery in Egypt, and the Christian Easter observances are inseparably linked. Christ's Last Supper was the Jewish "Seder" dinner. That's why Easter is observed on the first Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox; It is based on the Hebrew lunar calendar.

Vestiges of even more ancient pagan Spring festivals still exist fertility symbols such as the Easter rabbit, Easter eggs and maypoles.

Spring should serve to bring us together, united by our common humanity. But in these troubling, uncertain times, beliefs, our credos and dogma tend to further divide us; to breed hate instead of fostering love. So, Happy Holidays and a Joyous Spring, regardless of the symbols you choose to express it. Can't we all just get along? And, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
-- Warren Sharpe, editor

This Month in Puerto

Many of these communities will celebrate their annual fair to honor their patron saint, this week. Traditional saint's fiestas include calendas, lively processions through the streets with brass bands, huge papier-mache puppets and candle-lit globes inviting participation in the festivities. On the Eve of the saint's day (here that would be Sunday 18) there is the spectacular, if occasionally alarming, lighting of the castillo. It's a large tower rigged with fireworks to ignite in sequential order in an amazing display of pyrotechnic magic. This is preceded by the anarchic toritos, bull-shaped figures, similarly rigged, which are carried by young guys who run around the plaza in a blaze of light and explosions, terrorizing the assembled crowd.

There are jaripeos (bull riding rodeo competitions), dances with live bands and sports events, including often cockfights and horse races. There are also carnival rides and a midway, food stalls and huge bazaars with itinerant vendors offering all kinds of household goods.

There are numerous Saint Joes nearby. See this link for some of them.

Monday 19
National Holiday
to commemorate the birthday of Benito Juárez (see Wed. 21). Banks and government offices will be closed.

Tuesday 20
First Day of Spring

Wednesday 21
Birthday of Benito Juárez
Among its many illustrious sons, Oaxaca produced two dominant figures in Mexican history. One is Porfirio Diaz, the president who didn't know when to quit, and whose excesses gave birth to the Mexican Revolution. The other is Benito Juárez, the Zapotec Indian who rose from humble origins to become the most revered leader in Mexican history.

Benito Pablo Juárez García was born on March 21, 1806 in the village of San Pablo Guelatao, Ixtlán, Oaxaca. Orphaned at age four, he learned to speak Spanish and to read and write at the age of 12, when he was sent by his impoverished relatives to Oaxaca and taken into a seminary for an education.

He went on to study law and at age 28 began his career in public office as a councilman in the town. He later served as state deputy, a civil and finance judge, secretary of state, governor and, seven times, president of Mexico.

He suffered jail terms and exile. He led the resistance to the French invasion under the Emperor Maximilian and guided the country through a time of vicious internal struggles to establish La Reforma, the series of reforms that limited the powerhold of the church, foreign business interests and the old ruling class.

Most of all, Juárez is remembered for his honesty, unimpeachable integrity and humanity. His quote "Respect for the rights of others brings peace" is the motto on the seal of the state of Oaxaca.

Tuesday 20 - Mon 26
Annual Fair
San Gabriel Mixtepec The official feast day for Saint Gabriel the Apostle is actually in September. But, because this is often the wettest month of the year, and nobody wants it to rain on their parade, this town's big fiesta in early Spring.

San Gabriel Mixtepec is an attractive coffee-growing community, perched in the foothills amid rich vegetation and abundant wildlife. Its riverbanks and waterfalls are popular picnic sites. San Gabriel is about an hour-and-a-half drive from Puerto, it's where you would leave Highway 137 for Santos Reyes Nopala The fiesta will include the full complement of activities, both sacred and profane.

Saturday 31
Dance: Montéz de Durango
Another one of big, brassy norteña dance bands and they are very successful, selling millions of albums on both sides of the border. In fact they originally formed in Chicago in 1994. Also on the bill are Mar Azul. The occasion is the closing of the annual fair in Col. Tamarindos, the neighborhood before Zicatela Point. No further details are available.

Sunday April 1
Palm Sunday
No shortage of palms here for the faithful who mark Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem with processions and religious observances, officially ending the 40 days of Lent.
Daylight Savings Time
Although north of the border it began March 11, here it still takes effect at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April, when clocks are to be set forward one hour (i.e. 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m.).

Tuesday April 3
Homage to Alvaro Carrillo
Every year on the anniversary of his untimely death, Pinotepa Nacional, a city he did so much to immortalize with his Pinotepa , perhaps the best-known chilena of them all, pays tribute to Oaxaca's most celebrated composer. A host of musicians, trios and bands will interpret his music in this annual festival which begins at 6 p.m.,
Municipal Square, Pinotepa Nacional.
See more

Thursday 5 - Sun 7
Easter Weekend
The Easter holiday weekend is the busiest tourist period of the entire year. This is when thousands and thousands flee the chaos of the cities for Spring vacation.

There will be lots of impassioned religious observances taking place during the holiest week of the Christian calendar, along with plenty of worldly diversions to occupy the hordes, who will descend on Puerto Escondido -- and every other resort in Mexico.

For all Christian churches, Easter Sunday is unquestionably the most important day of the entire religious calendar. Since all Roman Catholics are expected to attend mass and take Holy Communion to mark the holiday, every celebration held in each of the thousands of churches throughout Mexico will be packed with the faithful on this day.

The church bells will ring out to proclaim a day of joy and spiritual renewal, the promise of redemption symbolized by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Saturday 7 - Sun 8
Indigenous Cultural Fair
A program to introduce a new organization, Nngwé Jndyó, dedicated to the preservation of the indigenous cultural traditions. Activities will include expo-sale of traditional crafts, artwork, typical foods, presentations on the environment and sustainable development and folkloric groups including Yostaltepetl from Pinotepa Nacional and Despertar Chatino.
Opening: 4 p.m. Saturday 7,
Sunday 7 program begins at 3 p.m.
Hotel Arcoiris, Playa Zicatela

Tuesday 10 - Sat 14
1,650th Anniversary of the Founding of Villa Tutútepec
This month San Pedro Tutútepec, now known as Villa Tutútepec de Melchor Ocampo, celebrates 1,650 years of continuous human occupation with a series of special events. At the time of the Spanish Conquest (1519-1522), this part of the Oaxacan coast had long been under the control of a Mixtec dynasty based in Tutútepec.

According to surviving Mixtec codices, on April 3, 357 AD, the king of Tilantongo sent Prince Matatzín to lead 20,000 families, the high priest of Achiutla and 50 other priests to colonize the rich lands and trading routes of the coastal plains.

The place they chose was Yucu Saa (Hill - yucu, of the Birds - saá), named for the pyramid-like peak where numerous seabirds were nesting, a propitious sign for Matatzín. They were also awed by the view: the wetlands of Chacahua; the vast great Pacific; the lush coastal plains and a glimpse of mountains beyond Pochutla and Juquila.

The town has an interesting museum that documents the history and houses the relics of this ancient zone: great stone carvings from the Mixtec Temple of the Sky, samples of tools, weapons and ceramics. There's the famous Goddess of the Sky stela, the jaguar thought to have been the temple guardian, which lost its head to raiding forces from Jicayán, and what appears to be a Plumed Serpent. Ties to other cultures are evident; some stone carvings show strong Toltec influences and there are ceramic figures that mirror the famous gold masks of Monte Alban. Although Tutútepec was never completely dominated by the Aztecs, it is clear that it was strongly influenced by the Nahuatls. Its name was changed to Tototepec (toto - Bird, tepec - Hill), then to Totoltepec. It officially recorded as Tutútepec in 1623.

Near to town is the Hill of the Birds, where that amazing view, which so impressed Matatzín and his followers, can still be enjoyed.

Tutútepec is famous for its Fandango de Varitas, a kind of chilena music which traditionally features five or six musicians playing guitar, violin, cajón (a percussion instrument fashioned from a wooden box), charrasca and a cántaro (a kind of bass made from a clay pot).

The anniversary celebration this month will offer lots of opportunities to see the Fandango, sample local culinary specialties, and buy crafts and artwork. The road to Villa Tutútepec is just beyond the town of Santa Rosa de Lima at about Km 66 of the Coastal Highway towards Acapulco.

Read This Month's Feature Articles:
Semana Santa
San Jose
Alvaro Carrillo