Nacimiento en el kiosco de la plaza principal de Ajijic del 2020, en el cual trataron de hacerlo de la forma tradicional.
Sofia Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- Las festividades decembrinas en Ajijic, no siempre han sido como lo son ahora. Según palabras del cronista de Ajijic, Eduardo Ramos Cordero, ha cambiado tanto la dinámica familiar como muchas de las tradiciones que había hace al menos 40 años.
«Hace muchos años, era diferente la celebración del 24 y 25 de diciembre. El 24, la celebración era más religiosa, ya que no se hacía la cena familiar, sino que las familias se iban a misa, por lo general de 12 de la noche, y al salir, iban a la plaza, donde un niño que representaba un ángel ponía la figura del Niño Dios en el Nacimiento, el cual solían ubicar frente a la capilla del Rosario. Después de eso, se hacía la pastorela, la gente convivía, y de ahí se iba a sus casas», comentó Lalo.
En cuanto al festejo del 25, recordó que la gente se reunía en los baldíos a convivir y a comer. Maduras amas de casa se juntaban para cocinar los llamados «tamales de piedra» o tamales mezcal, los cuales se hacían con pinole de maíz rojo y frijoles sin sal. Además, agregó que solían reunirse las mujeres en las casas de quién tenía horno para cocinar, y hacer un intercambio; «por ejemplo, le decían a la que tenía horno: ‘déjame cocinar en tu horno y yo te doy la mitad de los tamales’”.
Además, Lalo compartió una de las tradiciones perdidas de Ajijic, la cual era llevar al Niño Dios, que antes era el santo patrono del barrio de Tecoluta, y al cual se le hace una procesión desde la calle Río Zula, hasta las seis esquinas. Comentó que venían danzantes en la procesión tanto de Ajijic como de San Juan Cosalá, y que la figura del Niño era custodiada el resto del año por una madrina, que se encargaba de vestirlo y cuidarlo hasta que se tuviera que pasar a otra familia.
«En esta procesión, era muy bonito ver a los pastores con sus bastones muy grandes, que tenían hasta tres o cuatro pisos, muy bonitos, muy bien decorados, con cascabeles, campanas, papel picado y lo que tenían a la mano. Además, era una de las pocas veces del año donde los niños les dejaban comer dulce, y les daban un collar con tamales llamado tuales, los cuales eran dulces por la masa hecha con pinole.
Finalizó añadiendo que el Niño Dios de Tecolutla se perdió, y la celebración poco a poco se dejó de hacer; sin embargo, aseguró que espera que se puedan volver a realizar todas estas tradiciones perdidas y emblemáticas de Ajijic.
Durante la tarde noche del 22 de noviembre, tanto feligreses como músicos se reunieron para recorrer en procesión las calles de San Juan Cosalá. Foto: Héctor Ruíz.
D. Arturo Ortega. – La tradicional celebración a Santa Cecilia, patrona de los músicos en la delegación de San Juan Cosalá logró reunir tanto a feligreses como a músicos de la localidad quienes celebraron la fiesta de una manera religiosa a través de las calles de la población y su templo, así como con música en la plaza y convivio.
Te compartimos una serie de imágenes tomadas por Héctor Ruíz, en las que se refleja la manera de celebrar esta fiesta de los músicos, al estilo cosalense.
Luego de una misa celebrada en la Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís, los músicos llevan en un recorrido a la imagen de Santa Cecilia por el malecón de Chapala. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.
D. Arturo Ortega. – Con fe, tradición y música se vivió el 22 de noviembre, Día del Músico en Chapala, lugar donde desde muy temprano, por la mañana grupos de norteño, mariachis, tríos y solistas que laboran en los lugares más visitados de la cabecera municipal, se dieron cita en la Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís y el extremo oriente del malecón para celebrar a la patrona, Santa Cecilia.
A través de una serie de imágenes tomadas por Jazmín Stengel, te compartimos cómo la fe y la devoción se manifestó durante este día tan significativo para el gremio de la música:
INE will be at The Ajijic Cultural Center to provide services to voters.
Sofia Medeles (Ajijic,Jal.) – Personnel from the National Electoral Institute (INE) will be at the Ajijic Cultural Center (CCA) for citizens to renew, process, or replace their voter credentials.
The INE will be open at the CCA from November 24 to 29 (except for the weekend days of November 27th and 28th). They will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tokens for appointments will be issued to citizens in order of arrival.
Translated by Amy Esperanto
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- With no fields to sow and no cows to herd in Ajijic, the farmers’ guild, once one of the strongest of the nine guilds, is now one of the hardest hit in the Ajijic’s patron saint festivities.
The festivities in honor of San Andrés Apóstol are held from November 22 to 30 In the Parish of San Andrés Apóstol, where the patron saint of Ajijic is located.
Semanario Laguna spoke with one of the members (of the guild. Ramona Díaz, received the media outside her house hiding her hands to protect herself from the cold, nostalgically commented that her membership in the guild is because she inherited it from her father, who inherited it from her grandfather. Senora Diaz acknowledged that the guild is one of those that has been fading the most with time.
«It used to be a robust day because there was a lot of farming and ranching, but the guild members have been doing less and less. Today there are fewer than 25 of us who cooperate, and there is no longer anywhere to plant or have livestock, that is why the festivities have been lost,» she mentioned while raising her voice a little to be able to stand out among the noise of trucks and cars passing by outside her home.
She went on to say that the only thing left is the name, because only memories of this trade remain, and they will probably be those of this last generation. «I don’t think I will pass it on to my children, because they are no longer committed to the faith or to the profession. Not only my children, many young people no longer approach religion today.»
She said that another important factor in the lack of participation not only in her guild, but in all the guilds,is the diminished the day of the youth which is a colorful day with a lot of celebration in other areas, but here it is different, because they have been leaving aside religion and customs, they only see the celebration.»
Looking to the side, she recalls a tradition that is basically lost, in which the guild on the following day, made a small procession with lanterns to get to the last mass of the day which represented that they were receiving their day. They called this the «entrada.» «It would be nice if those of us who participate in the guilds could agree to wear a shawl and wear our tresses, so we could show more of our traditions and roots.»
Finally, she called on the community of Ajijic, adults, youth and children, to get more involved in the traditions that remain since, with pride, she says it is part of what makes Ajijic magical. «Another one I remember, is the battle of the roses -men giving roses to women during the dances in the plaza. It was nice and fun. It should be done again and we could motivate them, for example, by giving a prize to the one with the most roses. Let’s not let the traditions that made us what we are die.»
Translated by Sydney Metrick.
Chavo Luna in front of his house, «The future of music is uncertain, from being dead during the pandemic now the movement is reborn».
Jazmín Stengel – Salvador de Luna Castellanos, better known as Chavo Luna, began his career at the age of eight in 1956. His interest began the day he followed the musicians he saw pass by the main avenue of his town, Chapala, dressed in suits with instruments in hand.
The pursuit of that day led the boy to the Academy of the parish of San Francisco de Asís where the community band, «Niños Héroes,» founded by the priest Raúl Navarro was rehearsing. «That’s where I began to study,» said Chavo.
Chavo found a harmony that would accompany him throughout his life. Being mostly self-taught, he sought to learn from friends and colleagues who studied at the Conservatory, such as Humberto Rivera who accompanied him for two years, helping him to complement his musical training.
The quality of his music and the few opportunities to practice his profession in Chapala during his youth, led him in the 70’s to make the leap directly to the tapatías groups. The Youth Orchestra of Guadalajara was the first to open its doors to him. After that, Chavo was part of the orchestras directed by Nano González and Enrique Reyes, both famous musicians from Jalisco.
Luna told us about one of the best moments he experienced on stage. «The first day you play a solo well the people look at you and you can hear the applause,» he said with a hidden smile and eyes lit up with nostalgia as if he were reliving that moment from the warmth of his living room.
After that day his career took off. He was a member of the Arturo Xavier Gonzalez Santana Orchestra when it split in 1981, «the best ones formed their own group and those of us who were not so good stayed,» Chavo recalled.
Shortly thereafter, the Jalisco State Symphony Orchestra called him to its elite ensemble of musicians in the city where he remained for three years. «At first I hesitated, but I wanted to fit in with the greats and I realized I had the quality,» he said with a blush.
After a fifteen-year absence, «One day my sister told me that her three children wanted to learn music. I proposed to invite seven more of their friends to form a band.» Since 1983, Luna has gathered young people in the main square of the Chapala every Sunday to form the new band of Chapala.
At that time, the now 73-year-old maestro made a crucial life decision. “Since we musicians sacrifice time and effort, I dedicated mine to develop music among the young people of the town,» said Chavo not regretting leaving the big leagues to continue his legacy with music classes for clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and all the wind instruments he masters.
The effort over 28 years has never been in vain, and even if the pay is a simple plate of pozole with a couple of tostadas, the students have always made their work worthwhile. There are 18 students who have made it to the «mero arriba,» seven are now professionals and play with celebrities such as Alejandro «El Potrillo» Fernández, La Banda San Miguel, Banda Caramelo or La Pequeño Musical.
Chavo Luna may not have achieved worldwide fame like other musicians who pursued a public image, but the persistence and dedication he has shown throughout his 52-year career, his dedication to non-profit teaching, lead him to be recognized by his people with an outdoor tribute in the main square of the Chapala capital on November 21 at 8:00 p.m., where the Chavo Luna Wind Band, directed by Chavo Luna himself, will also perform.
Musicians in Chapala are scattered, but not absent. After a year of pandemic without festivities or music, the guild of mariacheros will meet again on Monday, November 22 at the Parish of San Francisco de Asís at 7:30 a.m. to celebrate a mass in honor of Santa Cecilia, Patron Saint of all musicians.
At the end of the mass, the groups will go to the little chapel of Santa Cecilia, on Chapala’s malecon in front of La Rampa restaurant, where the mariachis gather to sing the mañanitas to the patron saint, as they do every year.
The musicians from San Antonio Tlayacapan will organize a symbolic festival to celebrate their day, bringing together bands such as Astro Norteño, La Banda Caramelo, Banda Colegiala, Mórbida, La GS Band and Polo con su guitarra, combining musical genres for all tastes.
Also, in the parish of San Antonio de Padua, a mass in honor of St. Cecilia will be held at 7:00 a.m. and at the end, the mañanitas will be in the atrium of the same parish.
Translated by Sydney Metrick.
The neighbors of the Lourdes neighborhood will see the doors of their chapel open to the public for the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Photo Jazmín Stengel.
Jazmín Stengel – After being closed to the public for more than three years and after six months of restoration work, the Chapel of Lourdes will finally open its doors to the public to commemorate the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12, as was done in 1940.
To date, more than 500,000 pesos (almost $24,000 USD) have been invested in the restoration work, according to the civil engineer, Enrique Petersen. These resources come from what the neighbors have been able to raise through donations, most of the time in material.
«Unlike earlier, they now prefer anonymous donations», commented Alejandra Martinez, daughter of Tere and Jose (Pepe) Martinez, neighbors of the community and treasurers of this collection. She added that many Chapalenses and foreigners have contributed their share, including Enrique Petersen who undertook the job of directing the work without charging a peso.
The task has not been easy, since the labor expenses and some materials not donated tallied up to 70 thousand pesos one month, with even more expenses. The average monthly expenses remained at 20 thousand pesos, which has covered the payroll of four stonemasons.
The steady collection of resources has been maintained thanks to fairs, raffles, sales, and the monthly contributions of more than 200 pesos, which the neighbors of the neighborhood pledged to contribute.
Petersen said that when he began the plans for the restoration of the exterior, he discovered the poor condition of the foundation, and that part of the only tower was cracked.
«We started by fixing the base of the chapel and reinforcing its walls with metal and concrete, we removed the outside balcony that was pushing out one of the walls and repaired the cracks,» said the engineer, who added: «These details and water leaks from the hill impacted the infrastructure severely enough to close it in September 2019, almost 80 years after its inauguration,» he concluded.
At the end of the first stage of restoration, only cosmetic and finishing details such as painting, carpentry and gardening are pending, for which more budget is needed. However, the committee in charge, together with engineer Petersen, decided to reopen the chapel so that the community can see what has been achieved.
The chapel was built in 1940 by Guillermo González Hermosillo y Brizuela, who led the cooperation between the neighbors of Colonia Francesa and the Ixtle neighborhood to make possible the construction of the sanctuary.
Now it is the turn for the second generation of neighbors, the heirs of the luxurious country houses in Colonia Francesa and the inhabitants of the renowned neighborhood of Lourdes in Chapala, named in honor of their patron saint. These neighbors continue the restoration of the shrine week after week by selling churros, fritters, and sweets outside after mass, and others by making extravagant anonymous donations.
The fundraising work continues to help fund the remaining restoration work, and the next fair is already planned to be held on November 28 outside of the Parish of San Francisco de Asis. Another fair is planned for December 5 outside of the Chapel of Lourdes.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
The banner listing the program of activities and participating guilds is on the façade of the church of St. Andrew the Apostle.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- The novena of nine days of religious celebrations to honor St. Andrew the Apostle will be carried out at the church in the customary way -unlike the celebrations in the main plaza, which will be modified- with the traditional mañanitas, masses, rosaries, and adoration of the Holy Eucharist.
The mañanitas will be held at 7:00 a.m.; while mass will be held at three different times, 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Rosaries will be at 6:30 p.m., and adoration of the Holy Eucharist- in the hands of adorers and honorary adorers – will be on Wednesday, November 24, Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
Participants in the painting of a crosswalk with the colors of the community flag (Johnny Cobián, Noemí Martínez, Delfina Zamora, Cinthia Martínez, Jose Luis Ibarra, and Vanesa Sandoval). Photo: Sofía Medeles
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- Gay activists painted a zebra crossing with the colors of the rainbow flag Wednesday to make the LGBTTTIQ+ community visible in Lakeside.
Before painting the crosswalk, General director of Guadalajara Pride, Johnny Cobian explained that they were not doing a simple painting, but a political disobedience, a form of protest to tell the residents of Lakeside that they are there, they want to be visible, and, above all, to be respected.
«This action is also to tell our sisters and brothers that they are not alone, because there are those who do not dare to express their sexuality out of fear, so we want to tell them that here we are, fighting shoulder to shoulder, which is one of the objectives of this proud first year in Ajijic, and although they are few, the most important marches began with 10 people. In the future, this will be much bigger than today,» said Cobian.
The action was held in November instead of during the June festivities of the LGBTTTIQ+ community because it celebrated an important event to the Mexican Gay community, the so-called «Dance of the 41», a police raid that took place on November 17, 1901, to arrest a group of 42 men in dresses and ball gowns at a dance., including Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, son-in-law of the then president, Porfirio Diaz, who was spared.
The activists invited the people of Chapala both inside and outside the movement to the parade on Saturday, November 20, starting at 4 p.m. in Chapala starting at Cristianía Park and marching through the city to a small festival.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, in Ajijic, is close to starting the restoration project
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- The project for the restoration of Ajijic’s Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary is very close to starting, and after four fundraising events, the group “Sumando Voluntades” or Summoning Volunteers is ready to take the next step.
Their most recent event was the seventh annual Run for the Rosary, held on the day of the Virgin of the Rosary, October 31, with 180 runners participating in the race. The race and the fair held on the same day raised 40 thousand pesos, giving a total of approximately 350 thousand pesos that the group has raised to start working.
The architect in charge of the project, Josué Ramos, said that the restoration project was presented to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and needs some modifications, however, the capital raised is enough to get started.
«They asked us to revise the structural project to the specifications provided by the architect of the INAH. The architect said that we don’t have to spend all the capital in the first stage since they were quite simple things to start with,» Josué asserted.
He also added that they have more events in mind, although they have yet to plan the details or set the date. In the short term, they plan to focus on the architectural survey and the necessary restructuring.
«We will continue to raise funds for this project. For the moment, we are thinking of selling a black and white poster with the Virgin of the Rosary and the little chapel in the background, which we will start selling during the patron saint festivities and whenever we have the opportunity», concluded the architect Josué.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
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