Fat Tuesday in Amantenango

As the afternoon in Amantenango progressed, the local pre-Lenten "Mardi Gras" (Fat Tuesday) celebrations began. First photo is of the town band (with brass, guitars, drums) playing for a group of young men who are dresssed in masks (a few in dresses and heels, in drag) who shuffled around the town square. As we were gathered under one of the zocalo trees, I heard noises up in the branches and spotted a few little boys who were giggling and watching us. I made some of my famous monkey noises, which brought more laughter and monkey hoots from the tree branches, and was soon surrounded by a gaggle of curious boys who peppered us with questions about "how do you say in English...?" and who proceeded to follow us as we walked through the town.

We were invited up the street where a house ceremony had begun, in which older men and women slowly shuffled upon a pine needle strewn floor of the patio, "reverencing the ground" to the sounds of clay flute, guitar and percussion instruments. Soon several men slowly gathered up the tall processional flags, crossed themselves and handed young boys giant stalks of corn, banana palm and sugar cane. Women carried burning "cobal" inscence and fresh flowers, and the procession moved out into the street. We followed quietly behind, and sat in the back pews as the women filled the altar spaces with the flowers, candles were placed on the floor and lit, and prayers were sung in the gathering twilight.

Mid-way through this simple liturgy inside the sanctuary, the town band and the costumed dancers appeared at the open door, playing and laughing loudly. The young girls in the pews ahead of us turned in excitement; the older women cast disapproving looks; the band played some more and then drifted off onto the zocolo. All the time, the prayers and singing continued within the sanctuary. "Sacred" and "profane" all co-mingling together, and so the Season of Lent begins.

We traveled by taxi, plane, bus, another taxi the next day, to arrive in San Miguel de Allende after dark. We found this beautiful colonial city, with it's brightly lit cathedrals and old buildings, to be filled with people observing the holy day of Ash Wednesday. People filled the center town square (El Jardin), most with carefully drawn black crosses on their foreheads. No simple ash-smudges here. People "wear" their faith and observances openly and without guile in this town, as families and couples, old people, young people, strolled through the warm evening air together.

-ASG