Okay, here are some details about the celebration that Mary and I got to attend last night. I actually had everything typed into yesterday's blog and then the post didn't work and I lost it all. It was midnight by then (I had typed for almost an hour) and my brain was too tired to remember everything all over again. So here goes... God, please help me to remember everything fresh.
Many of the holidays here are based on the Catholic church. Some are integrated with cultural beliefs and traditions. They are all pretty strange to Mary and me, sometimes. This celebration is kind of like Halloween meets Mardi Gras with Christmas trees, Madonnas and fireworks.
We had walked down to the park (town square) across from one of the main Catholic churches. The road was blocked off in front of the church. The park didn't have as many vendors selling gift items as usual. Most of the space was taken up with vendors selling food items (all of which smelled delicious, but were not okay for us gringas to eat). At the intersections around the park were set up some fireworks staging areas. Also, there were firing areas on the roofs of some of the surrounding buildings.
The 'Tall Ladies' are part of celebrating the folklore of the Spanish ladies who came to Nic, who were much taller than the Nicaraguan men. So there are people walking around with these really tall get ups that look like ladies with long hair and dressed in Spanish dresses. A man walks underneath the dress and holds up the framework. They even have a contest to see who has the prettiest tall lady. Anyway, as we were running around for the feedings yesterday, we say a Tall Lady walking down the road. We also saw a short, very round costumed Nic man. With the crowds, I couldn't get a good picture of the couples together, but they look funny.
Another funny thing we saw on the road yesterday was a horse statue that is used for picture taking at the park (for a fee). A man was riding his motorcycle with the horse sideways across the seat behind him. It was hilarious. I wish we could have gotten a picture. Imagine going down the road and seeing a big horse coming at you sideways!
Anyway, after the mass is over at 6pm, the bells start ringing at the church. There were rotating lights shining against the church outside walls. A lot of noise as people started cheering and fireworks are going off. There are people carrying framework that is supposed to represent bulls running around on the blocked off street. The framework is covered with fireworks and the people carrying it are throwing firecrackers everywhere, even into the crowd. The fireworks are going off all over the sky, being set off from all corners of the square and the rooftops. I was trying to take pics, but it was hard to hold the camera and hold my ears shut at the same time. (I hate fireworks).
There were tents set up in the park to give away items to the people. This is the part that reminds me of Halloween. The custom is to go to the tents (and also from house to house) and where there is a display of the Virgin Mary, ask "Who causes so much joy?" The answer is "The conception of Mary". Then you receive whatever they are giving out. Sometimes candy, fruit, sugar cane, bags of salt or washing powder, etc. One tent was giving away bags to carry everything in. We each got a bag, but then we hightailed it out of the square to the car so we could get back to German's house before the streets filled up with people. It was pretty cool to be there to see the celebration.
When we got back to German's house, there were tons of people walking the streets, going house to house getting treats. This goes on all evening. Everyone from León and also the surrounding towns were in the streets. It was crazier than the streets of NYC!!
People go home and eat a special meal. I mentioned the food in yesterday's post. And then at midnight they let off fireworks again. Then everyone takes the next day (today) off as a holiday.
When we got back to Poneloya, where the team house is, there were no people in the streets, which is very unusual. A lot of them had went into town for the celebration. We had one neighbor come and knock on our door for candy when they saw us return. But we weren't participating in the custom, so Saturnino explained and sent them away. By midnight, the people were back in Poneloya and in the streets celebrating some. Then we heard fireworks at midnight and off and on for a few more hours.
Pretty cool tradition. I love getting so see how other cultures live and worship and celebrate. We (North Americans) have mixed Jesus' birth with Santa Claus for Christmas and also Jesus' resurrection and the Easter Bunny for Easter. I guess this Virgin Mary celebration is a culmination of many things, some religious and some traditional. It was amazing to see some of the displays/alters that people had set up in their homes, keeping their doors open or on their front porch areas. They really went all out. I wish we would make lovely displays of the Nativity in every doorway of every home in the states, and put it right out there for all to see and celebrate. The Christmas tree can go in a corner. :)
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