The Traditional Fiesta

When I first began reporting on such matters at the dawn of this periodical, the then parish priest explained to me with a resigned shrug that the fiesta is, was and always would be a mix of the sacred and the profane. The rituals and images of the Catholic faith are present, of course, but there are other symbols and activities that have nothing to do with the orthodox canons of the church.

The fiesta formally begins with lively processions through town: the convite (in the late afternoon) and the calenda, which takes place after dark with candle-lit globes.

The parades are very festive, always lead by a brass band and monos de calenda, giant papier-mache puppets. Once, during a calenda in a nearby indigenous village, I asked a participant what they represented. "We are humble people, we aren't important and others make us small," he replied. "But during fiesta we are big, we are at the center of the world." The parades stop every few blocks to dance, shoot off rockets and drink shots of mezcal.

The night preceding the actual saint's day is the grand verbena, public celebration, when the fireworks of the castillo are set off. The "castle" is a tower of cane and bamboo, or more commonly these days, milled wood laths. It is rigged with a series of spinning, whizzing, exploding wheels that are set off in ascending sequence from a single match.

It is a spectacular display of pyrotechnic magic, preceded by the running of the toritos, "little bulls", in which the local youths don a bull-shaped structure affixed with more fireworks and race around in a blaze of smoke, fire and explosions. It's a great show; just keep your distance.

Some fairs include horse racing (which in some communities involves teams of riders competing to grab the live chicken hung from a rope above the racecourse), cockfights and almost all offer the jaripeo, the local bull-riding rodeo. (See prior issues of El Sol for more or our web site: www.elsoldelacosta.com).

Itinerant merchants set up temporary markets, carnies provide midway rides and galleries, there are food and juice stands, often even makeshift cantinas, offering further profane temptations.

Important fiestas are often mayordomias, in which a mayordomo or sponsor is selected to host the festivities, extending hospitality to all the participants, a great honor but also a huge economic burden, although many people pitch in to help.

The fiesta is as grand or as modest as the town where it is held. It defines its character and cements its cohesion. The fiesta is a connection to the past, hope for the future and a marker in the ageless cycle of the seasons.