Santa Cruz celebration concludes this weekend
May 30, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

This weekend wraps up the Santa Cruz festivities in Valle del Maíz that began May 22. The main celebration takes place Friday, May 30. Mañanitas or tardecitas (the name derives from the time of day) are sung to the Santa Cruz and men and women dressed as Chichimecas perform indigenous dances. They then follow the Santa Cruz in a procession that travels along Callejón del Valle del Maíz and Salida a Querétaro. The procession is accompanied by many handmade mojigangas, the large, flamboyant papier-mâché puppets worn by dancers.

The celebration continues all night long and includes rituals such as the blessing of the gunpowder used for the rockets and fireworks and of the crucero (a xúchil, or large decoration, made of chucharilla, a wild plant in danger of extinction). During an all-night vigil, several chucharilla decorations are created and concheros perform religious music.

At 5am, the traditional alborada (dawning) takes place with rockets and fireworks, ending with an offering of tamales and atole to all the participants by the neighborhood families. 

On Saturday and Sunday the celebration continues with prayers, dances and parades and a re-enacted battle between Chichimecas and Spanish soldiers. 

Santa Cruz festivities

Friday, May 30

5pm: Athletic competition, all categories, departing from the Valle del Maíz church

6pm: Music with tambora; tardecitas for the Santa Cruz

8:30pm: Pre-Hispanic dances & parade, live music, mojigangas, locos, and residents of Valle del Maíz

11:30: Arrival of the Santa Cruz at the Valle del Maíz Church

12am: All-night vigil; blessing of the gunpowder and the crucero (cucharilla offerings); fireworks & rockets


Saturday, May 31

4am: Gunpowder collection

5am: Alborada

7am: Atole served

8am: Music in the church’s esplanade

3pm: Offerings in the church’s espalanade, pre-Hispanic dance “Águila Real,” with group Shopitanteha from Yerbabuena, Guanajuato 

4pm: Blessing of the oxen 

5pm: Re-enacted war between Chichimeca Indians and Spanish soldiers, in the lot opposite Plaza Real del Conde

7pm: Palo ensebado (greased pole competition) in the church’s esplanade

9pm: Vigil to honor Santa Cruz by several rural communities

10pm: Fireworks & rockets



Sunday June 1

4am: Powder collection

5am: Alborada

7am. Atole served

12pm: Parade with mojigangas, pre-Hispanic dances, & locos though the main streets of the city

2pm: Burning of monitos (cardboard dolls) and lunch by the Arzola Ramírez family

4pm: Parandes (cucharilla offerings) in the church’s esplanade

7pm: Theater play: El Tesoro Escondido (The Hidden Treasure)

8pm: Palo ensebado (greased pole competition)

9:30pm: Fireworks and rockets

Corrections 

The article by Beverly Russell “Five-star luxury coming in 2010” (Atención, May 16, p20) incorrectly identified the sales director of Artesana Rosewood Residences. Harold, not Howard, Shand is the sales director.

The article by Jerry Davis “Another Jovenes Adelante success story” (Atención, May 23, p9) misrepresented the level of support provided by the organization. Remedios and other recipients receive a monthly stipend averaging 1000 pesos from Jovenes Adelante. The amount mentioned, 1800 pesos, includes monies Remedios receives from a Bibioteca Pública scholarship.