Christmases of the past
Nativity scene set up in Ajijic’s central plaza, in 2020.
Sofia Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.) – The Christmas festivities in Ajijic have not always been as they are now. According to the words of Ajijic historian, Eduardo Ramos Cordero (also known as Lalo) family dynamics have changed, as well as many of the long-standing traditions.
«Many years ago, the celebrations of Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day were different. On the 24th, the celebration was more religious. There was no big family dinner, families would go to mass (usually at midnight). After mass ended, they would go to the square, where a child (representing an angel) would place the figure of Jesus in the Nativity Scene. The creche was located in front of the Chapel of the Rosary. After that procession, there was a pastorela; everyone would enjoy themselves, and from there they would go to their homes,» commented Lalo.
He recalled that on Christmas Day people would gather in vacant lots and open spaces to get together and share a meal. Older women would get together to prepare «tamales de piedra,» also called mezcal tamales. These special tamales are made with beans (without salt). He added that the women used to meet at the houses of those who had an oven to cook, and make an exchange, for example, they would say to the one who had an oven, “let me cook in your oven and I will give you half of the tamales.”.
Also popular is red corn pinole,also called pinol or pinolillo, is roasted ground maize, mixed with a combination of cocoa, agave, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla, and/or other spices. The resulting powder is then used as a nutrient-dense ingredient to make different foods (cereals, baked goods, tortillas, and beverages). The name comes from the Nahuatl word pinolli, meaning cornmeal. Today, pinole is still made by hand using wood-burning adobe ovens, and a mortar and pestle.
In addition, Lalo shared one of the lost traditions of Ajijic, taking the Niño Dios (patron saint of the Tecoluta neighborhood), and making a procession from Río Zula to Six Corners. He commented that the procession included dancers from Ajijic, as well as from San Juan Cosalá. «In this procession, it was very nice to see the shepherds with their very tall canes (sometimes as tall as three or four stories), very beautiful, very well decorated, with bells, with colorful paper, and whatever else they had available. Also, it was one of the few times of the year when the children were allowed to eat candy. They were given a necklace with sweet tamales (called tuales), made with pinole.
The statue of the Child was then guarded for the rest of the year by a “godmother,” who was in charge of dressing him, and taking care of him until he was passed on to another family. He concluded by saying that sadly the Niño Dios de Tecolutla has been lost, and that the celebration was gradually discontinued. He said that he has hope that all these lost and emblematic traditions of Ajijic can be revived.
Translated by Amy Esperanto
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