Cont. from front page,
September, the Mes de la Patria, celebrates the fight for Mexican independence from Spanish rule that occurred on September 16, 1810 when parish priest Miguel Hidalgo issued the call to arms (el Grito) for the Mexican people to throw off 300 years of Spanish domination. With Mexican zeal, the event is celebrated not just for one day, but for 30.
San Miguel de Allende is part of the “Route of Independence,” which includes all the cities and towns on the route that Hidalgo and his followers took to pursue freedom. The route includes Dolores Hidalgo, Atotonilco, San Miguel de allende, Querétaro and Guanajuato. Each city celebrates September in their own distinctive way.
Fiestas Patrias in San Miguel
San Miguel, birthplace of Independence hero Ignacio Allende y Unzaga, begins the Fiestas Patrias September 8, with the festivity of the Virgin of Loreto and a tribute to sanmiguelenses Lucas Balderas and Gregorio Vicente Galaty. They participated with Hidalgo and Allende in the Independence war and died heroically in the Battle of Molino del Rey, in Mexico City
Sports and cultural events held during September include an athletic competition and a play about the life of Ignacio Allende, at Teatro Angela Peralta.
On Friday, September 14, a tribute ceremony will be held at Allende’s house, now a museum opposite the Parroquia. The “Cabalgata de los Conspiradores,” a group of horsemen from Querétaro, will arrive at the Jardín around 1pm.
The highlight of Mexican Independence is the famous “Grito” at 11pm, Saturday, September 15. Crowds fill the Jardin to listen to music, watch fireworks and join Mayor Jesús Correa as he leads the call for Independence “Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico!” from the balcony of the Allende museum.
San Miguel Arcángel festivities begin with an “Alborada preview” Thursday, September 20, through calles Hidalgo and Canal.
According to the Fiestas Patrias program provided by the Education and Culture Department, an equestrian show with Pedro Domeq horses was set for Friday, September 21, but the event was not yet confirmed as we went to press.
The San Miguel fair, a favorite for the young and young at heart behind the new Presidencia (City Hall), opens on the 21st and runs until October 7.
The city’s patron saint San Miguel Arcángel is celebrated September 29. The San Miguel Arcángel fiesta is celebrated with the Alborada (Dawn), an all-night festivity at the Jardín with pre-Hispanic dances, rockets and fireworks. Fiestas Patrias in San Miguel end with the Alborada on Saturday night, September 28, and early Sunday morning.
The Sanmiguelada or “running of the bulls” was also a traditional September party, but was cancelled this year by local government due to the uncontrollable crowds of previous years.
Organizing the Fiestas
After the resignation of members of the city-appointed Fiestas Patrias board, comprising of local historians and businessmen, the organization was passed onto the city treasurer and the education and culture department.
Verónica Agundis, director of Education and Culture, and treasurer Eduardo Soria will manage the Fiestas’ one million peso budget. According to Soria, this year’s Fiestas will cost around five million pesos. “We only have a budget of one million, so we are depending on sponsors and on the entrance fees for the fair (20 pesos per person) to cover the expenses,” said Soria. “The private sector (hotel and restaurant owners) is not supporting the festivities.” According to Soria, entrance to the feria will include all the attractions such as “Teatro del Pueblo” and the circus.
Fiestas Patrias in Dolores Hidalgo
Dolores Hidalgo is considered the cradle of the Mexican Independence as it was here that Don Miguel Hidalgo began the war for the Independence and gave the first “Grito”. The city celebrates Fiestas Patrias beginning September 8 with sport competitions (swimming, bicycling and fishing); a running competition with the torch of Independence; cultural events (photo and painting exhibitions, open-air plays and concerts) held at the main square; and a performance by the UNAM (National Autonomous University) dance group, held at the Mariano Abasolo Auditorium.
On September 9, the Fiestas Patrias fair starts at the convention center and runs through September 16. Performances will include popular and classical music, folkloric and classical ballet, and an equestrian performance. The Mexican mega-flag will be raised each day in a solemn ceremony, simultaneous with a tribute to Don Miguel Hidalgo at his monument on the main square. September 11 is the day of the big parade.
The Grito in Dolores Hidalgo
The highlight of Fiestas Patrias in Dolores is the “Grito” ceremony. According to city chronicler Don Alberto Gloria Zavala, Hidalgo’s speech to people in front of the Parroquia of Our Lady of Sorrows was in the early morning of September 16. President Profirio Díaz, whose birthday was September 15, shifted the “Grito” back one day so the nation would celebrate his birthday, too.
Traditionally, the mayor of Dolores is the one who heads the “Grito” by shouting “Viva Mexico!” “Long live the heroes who gave us freedom!” Some presidents of Mexico, who normally give the “Grito” at Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, have come to Dolores to give the “Grito.” The first one to come was Adolfo López Mateos, who gave the “Grito” in Dolores in 1963, the fifth year of his term. His successors, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Luis Echeverría, José López Portillo and Miguel de la Madrid, continued the tradition. Carlos Salinas de Gortari broke with tradition and came to Dolores in his sixth year, 1994. Ernesto Zedillo never came. Vicente Fox also came his sixth year (2006) because the left-wing candidate for president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, had occupied the Zócalo in protest for having lost the elections to the PAN candidate, Felipe Calderón.
According to Don Alberto Gloria, Dolores is preparing a great celebration in 2010 for the 200th anniversary of the Independence.
Fiestas Patrias in other cities
All Mexico celebrates the Fiestas Patrias, but for cities along the Route of Independence, it is a special tradition that begins in early September.
Querétaro, where the first conspirators met in secret to plan the movement to set Mexico free from Spain, specially honors Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, “La Corregidora,” in whose house such meetings took place. Doña Josefa was the wife of the “Corregidor of Querétaro,” the main viceregal authority in New Spain. She sent a message through her husband’s secretary, Ignacio Pérez, to her co-conspirators in San Miguel, Ignacio Allende and the Aldama brothers, telling them that the conspiracy had been discovered. Each year on September 13, the governor of Querétaro mounts guard at Doña Josefa’s grave at the Convento de la Cruz. Afterwards children from different schools participate in a ceremony in the Plaza de la Corregidora in the centro, where there is a monument in her honor. On the night of September 15, people crowd the main square before the Corregidora’s house (currently State Government Palace) from which balcony the governor heads the “Grito” ceremony. Traditional dances, food and music are held at the
square until late at night. A big parade through downtown streets follows on September 16.
Guanajuato only celebrates the Independence on the night of September 15, with the “Grito” ceremony headed by the state governor.
Zactecas, although not on the Route of Independence, celebrates the Fiestas Patrias throughout the month. On September 8, they celebrate the discovery of the mines in 1546 (which led to the founding of the city) and the religious festival of the city’s patroness saint, Our Lady of the Zacatecas. Their celebration takes the form of a big National Fair, which includes parades, sports and cultural events, performances, art exhibitions, bullfights with famous toreros such as Eloy Cavazos and Zotoluco, and rooster fights or palenques. The Zacatecas National Fair is held the first two weeks of September.
Fiestas Patrias in San Miguel de Allende, September, 2007
Friday, September 7
6pm, Honors to the flag, with the Banda de Guerra de los Dragones de la Reina band, Presidencia building, Salida a Querétaro
Saturday, September 8
6am, Virgin of Loreto festivities, mañanitas and Alborada (Dawn celebrations), Oratorio, Insurgentes & Pepe Llanos, activities continue all day
10am, Civic act, tribute to sanmiguelenses who died in the Molino del Rey battle, Jardín
6pm, Dance performance, Mazatl Folkloric Ballet of Casa de la Cultura, Oratorio, Insurgentes & Pepe Llanos
8pm: Concert, Mexican voice and folklore, Angela Peralta, Mesones and Hernández Macías
8pm: Fair, Jardín
(The mayor’s first annual report has been postponed until September 24)
Sunday, September 9
6am, Virgin of Loreto festivities, all day at La Ermita church, Salida a Querétaro
7:30am, Bike ride, departs from the Jardín and thru main city streets
8:30am, Sports, State Special Summer Olympic Games, 2007, bowling, Unidad Deportiva, Salida a Celaya
1pm, Sunday Serenade, Jardín
5pm, Athletic competition, through city main streets, departs from the Parroquia and ends at the Old Presidencia building, in front of the Jardín
7pm, Music, Jardín
8pm, Crowning of the Fiestas Patrias Queen, Raquel Muñiz, Jardín
Tuesday, September 11
8pm, Theater, Life of Ignacio Allende, Angela Peralta, Mesones &Hernández Macías
Wednesday, September 12
8pm, Theater, Life of Ignacio Allende, Angela Peralta, Mesones & Hernández Macías
Thursday, September 13
10am, Civic act, Tribute to Niños Héroes (Heroic Boys) who died in their defense of the Chapultepec Castle against American invasion in 1847, Parque Juárez, Diezmo Viejo & Aldama
4pm, Civic act, Insurgent horse riders from Jalpa arrive at Jardín
5pm, 52nd Race of the Conspirators, symbolic running race departs from Casa de Allende, Umarán & Cuna de Allende, and ends at the old Presidencia building, in front of the Jardín
Friday, September 14
10am, Mass, celebrates Charro’s Day, Lienzo Charro, Salida a Celaya
1:30pm, Arrival of horse riders from Querétaro, re-enactment of the conspirators ride in 1810 from Querétaro to San Miguel, Jardín
3pm, Concert, pre-Hispanic music, Collar de Viento, Teatro Santa Ana, Biblioteca Pública, Insurgentes 25
Saturday, September 15
10am, Civic act, fraternal message from different municipalities, outside Museo de Casa Allende, Umarán & Cuna de Allende
5pm, Civic act, arrival of the Torch of Independence from Querétaro, Jardín
8pm, Dance performance, Ballet Mazatl from Casa de la Cultura, Jardín
10:45pm, Civic act, transferral of the Mexican flag to Casa de Allende, by Mayor Jesús Correa with the City Council, Casa de Allende, Umarán and Cuna de Allende
10:55, Arrival of the Torch of Independence, Jardín
11pm, “El Grito” ceremony (the Cry of Independence), from the balcony in Casa de Allende, by Mayor Jesús Correa, Jardín
11:10pm, Fireworks, Jardín
12am, Fair, Jardín.
Sunday, September 16
9am, Civic act, flower offerings and symbolic torch, Casa de Allende, Umarán and Cuna de Allende
11am, Military parade, commemorating the 197th anniversary of the Mexican Independence, departs from Ancha de San Antonio, then through Zacateros, Canal, Hernández Macías, Mesones, Núñez, San Francisco, and ends in the Jardín.
6pm, Civic act, raising of the Mexican flag, in front of the ex-Presidencia building, opposite the Jardín
6:15pm, Parade, arrival of the “Insurgentes” to Main Square, departs Avenida Independencia, Insurgentes, Hernández Macías, Canal.
6:15, Civic act, Independence Route Horse Ride, arrives at the ex-Presidencia building, in front of the Jardín
8pm, Dance performance, Folkloric Ballet of San Miguel, Jardín
9pm, Fireworks, Jardín
Monday, September 17
10am, Civic act, 197th anniversary of the first City Council in the Independent Mexico, Jardín
(The Mes de la Patria continues with more events until early October, see Atención Sep 14.)
San Miguel celebrates Our Lady of Loreto
By Tania Noriz, with Jesús Ibarra
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Celebrations for Our Lady of Loreto begin Saturday, September 8, inside the Oratorio church at the corner of calles Insurgentes and Pepe Llanos. |
The festivities begin at 6am when the musicians of the Estudiantina Oratoriana sing traditional Mañanitas and continue with special masses throughout the day. In the evening a fiesta features antojitos mexicanos (traditional Mexican snacks), music, raffles and fireworks.
| Special celebrations in honor of the Virgin of Loreto, one of the most beloved incarnations of Mary, have been held since the eighteenth century. | |
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Beginning a week before the main celebration, masses, praying the rosary and special floral tributes to the Virgin are offered.
This is the second most important religious celebration in San Miguel after the feast in honor of the patron Saint Michael the Archangel on September 29. Father Roberto Almaguer, the chaplain of Santa Casa de Loreto, explains that, “This festivity is important because it celebrates the birth of Mary, Mother of Christ, the family union and the expressions of faith in silence.”
During colonial times when the figure of the Virgin was brought to San Miguel, she was named by the mayor as Patrona Excelsa de la Ciudad (Exalted Patroness of the City). La Ermita, a small chapel on Salida a Querétaro, was constructed to commemorate the arrival of the Virgin. Later the figure was brought to the Santa Casa chapel next to the Oratorio church.
Santa Casa de Loreto, the home of Mary
For many sanmiguelenses, the Virgin of Loreto is as important as Saint Michael the Archangel. The veneration of the saint began with benefactors Don Tomás de la Canal and his wife Doña María, prominent eighteenth-century citizens involved in the political, religious and architectural development of the town. Their devotion to the Virgin of Loreto was such that they built a special chapel for her.
In 1730, de la Canal, with the approval of the king of Spain, bought the land next to the Oratorio of San Felipe Neri Church, with the intention of building an exact replica of the Santa Casa de Loreto in Italy. According to legend, the Santa Casa in Italy contains three original walls of the house where Mary lived in Nazareth. The tradition also states that angels transported the walls to Italy after the Arabs invaded the Holy Land.
The chapel, known as La Casita, is located along the left side of the Oratorio. It has a beautiful gilded baroque façade with profuse ornamentation. Crossing the threshold, one finds a beautiful tile floor and mirrored golden medallions embedded in the ceiling. The figure of the Virgin rests in the upper part of the main altar, attributed to Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras. Above the image is an inscription in Latin, “My Mother is perfect and she is unique,” praise from Jesus for his Mother. Another inscription says Mater et Virgo (Mother and Virgin).
The Virgin, who in the Catholic world is considered the Queen of Heaven and Earth, always appears crowned. Changing the garments of the statue posed problems for the guards of the chapel, since they had to remove her crown. However, they devised a way to do it without removing her crown. Father Almaguer explains, “During each celebration, the chaplains and guards had this problem, so they installed a lamp in the shape of a crown right above her head so that the Queen of Heaven always shines as she should, crowned.”
Beneath the figure are the two hearts of Jesus and Mary. Figures of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim (the Virgin’s parents) stand beside her. The chapel also has statues of De la Canal and his wife, and their graves.
Behind the chapel is the Camarín, decorated with frescos that depict the history of the Santa Casa. On the walls are several gilded wooden altars with exceptional sculptures of the parents of Mary, and a glass coffin containing the relics of San Columbano.
In the sacristy, a large painting by Andrés Lopez (1795) represents several religious allegories. In the corridor that leads to the Camarín, oil paintings on copper depicting seven images of the archangels adorn the walls. Paintings dating from the nineteenth century that allude to the prayer El Salve also have been attributed to Tresguerras.
Place of devotion and silence
For Father Almaguer, it is important that people understand that the Santa Casa is a site of devotion that people must visit in silence because, “through silence God communicates His will and He leads us to meditate on our thoughts.”
The Santa Casa de Loreto also is a place to think about the family. “It represents the family life of three saints—(M)Mary and her parents—(M)and is a place of inspiration for our daily family life.” Father Alamaguer explains that is why the chapel is not open to the public.
One must request permission from Father Almaguer to enter the Santa Casa de Loreto. Flash photography is not allowed. “When people request permission for guided visits, I ask them to explain only about the art and history of the chapel and to refrain from giving interpretations about the religious symbolism.”
Masses at the Santa Casa of Loreto are every day at 7am and at 6pm. There is no special schedule for tourist visits.
(Adapted from an article by Tania Noriz, Atención, Sept 8, 2006).
Festivity schedule, September 8
6am, mañanitas sung by the Estudiantina Oratoriana, at the Virgen of Loreto chapel
7am, tamal and atole feast in the church corridors
7:30am, solemn mass, Oratorio
12:30pm, solemn mass by the Parroquia choir, Oratorio
6pm, main mass, Oratorio
7pm, rosary and flower offerings in honor of Our Lady of Loreto, Oratorio
Kermesse (Mexican fiesta) with food, candy and raffles
7:45pm, Estudiantina Oratoriana in the Oratorio atrium; fireworks