Best Mexican Easter Ever
Yesterday was a really fun day, and it was Easter. It started out with an event I had been looking forward to, called the "Burning of the Judases." As the name implies, this holiday has Catholic roots from the tradition of burning effigies of Judas, and has evolved into a more lighthearted event in which paper mache likenesses of unpopular political figures (as well as witches and devils) are strung up in the town square and exploded with fireworks. Here are the many characters, including Donald Trump, ready to meet their fate.
The fact that Donald Trump was among this cast of doomed characters delighted the good-natured crowd of Mexicans and expats. You could feel the happy excitement build as the guy on the ground pulled each character down one-by-one, lit its fuse with his cigarette, and sent it back up spinning and sparking wildly in the air, as we all nervously waited for the BOOM!
They tried to save Trump for last but gave in and did it sooner when the crowd started chanting, "Trump, Trump, Trump!" The guy next to me speculated that the crowd for this event was bigger than for Trump's inauguration. It was great to be around normal people!
The best way to really describe this amazingly loud, weird, and awesome tradition is with a video. The first one is the exploding of a character I didn't know, but I suggest watching it first to build your anticipation for the second one, which is a close-up of the Donald (with the crowd going wild). I could watch it a million times. Enjoy, Mom!
When the whole thing was over, kids scrambled to pick up body parts, so you'd see them walking around the park proudly holding giant arms and legs.
After the excitement of the burning of the Judases, I ran into my new neighbor from my building, Susie, whom I had chatted with on the rooftop terrace the other day. She's a funny, straight-shooting Southerner from North Carolina, and we hit it off pretty fast. She and I spent the rest of the day walking around town, shopping, and chatting. We ate street food in the park, had drinks, bought big hats, and took our pictures with a donkey.
Money (well) spent yesterday:
300 pesos - scarf
210 - that awesome hat
40 - tacos
50 - pics with donkey
25 - ice cream
200 - fruits and veggies for the week
825 pesos = 45 USD
 |
| Trump is on the upper left with the yellow sign that says "No Muro" which means "No Wall." |
 |
| Notice the firefighter in the foreground, on standby |
The fact that Donald Trump was among this cast of doomed characters delighted the good-natured crowd of Mexicans and expats. You could feel the happy excitement build as the guy on the ground pulled each character down one-by-one, lit its fuse with his cigarette, and sent it back up spinning and sparking wildly in the air, as we all nervously waited for the BOOM!
They tried to save Trump for last but gave in and did it sooner when the crowd started chanting, "Trump, Trump, Trump!" The guy next to me speculated that the crowd for this event was bigger than for Trump's inauguration. It was great to be around normal people!
The best way to really describe this amazingly loud, weird, and awesome tradition is with a video. The first one is the exploding of a character I didn't know, but I suggest watching it first to build your anticipation for the second one, which is a close-up of the Donald (with the crowd going wild). I could watch it a million times. Enjoy, Mom!
When the whole thing was over, kids scrambled to pick up body parts, so you'd see them walking around the park proudly holding giant arms and legs.
After the excitement of the burning of the Judases, I ran into my new neighbor from my building, Susie, whom I had chatted with on the rooftop terrace the other day. She's a funny, straight-shooting Southerner from North Carolina, and we hit it off pretty fast. She and I spent the rest of the day walking around town, shopping, and chatting. We ate street food in the park, had drinks, bought big hats, and took our pictures with a donkey.
 |
| Kiss kiss, bang bang |
 |
| With Susie |
What started out as an entertaining Easter morning in the park turned into an unexpectedly fun day wandering around San Miguel with a new friend, being a tourist. I love the randomly cool people I get to meet traveling!
 |
| I'm getting fried here-- too close to the sun! |
Money (well) spent yesterday:
300 pesos - scarf
210 - that awesome hat
40 - tacos
50 - pics with donkey
25 - ice cream
200 - fruits and veggies for the week
825 pesos = 45 USD
Comments
Post a Comment