Anniversary of Mexican Revolution – 20th November

Mexican Revolution of 1910 and is celebrated, as an obligated day off, on the third Monday of November. On the day itself, 20th November, San Miguel de Allende along with the rest of Mexico will have parades similar to that of the Independence parade. In San Miguel de Allende, there will be people and colors on the streets, more than usual I mean. Sometimes, there are reenactments of selected events, sometimes a whole band of people dressed in and suited as revolutionaries. It is usually a cute treat for people who love children as parents dress up their children as revolutionary heroes and traditional dresses, complete with fake moustaches and huge sombreros as tribute to Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. The history of Mexico, as all stories of the fight for freedom and independence, has been wrought with much violence and individual greed. It is the spirit of the people that prevails and it is fitting that the locals celebrate their local heroes. Popular history remembers the revolution as a progressive movement that ended an oppressive dictatorship and, returned power and land to the Mexican people. The Mexican Revolution was born out of a dissatisfaction against the political elite and the dictator, Porfirio Diaz. Although his economic policies favored commercial progress and Mexican produce, the benefits were spread only among members of the most privileged sectors, especially large landowners and industrial capitalists. By 1910, 85% of the land belonged to ‘Mexico’ but less than 1% of it to the people itself. The peasants were landless and jobless, and suffered daily from hunger and poverty. So, while the country enjoyed economic prosperity, there were dissatisfaction among the middle classes and hatred amongst the poorest groups in society. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 helped shape contemporary Mexico. It was not however a one time fight. It consisted of a series of revolutions and internal conflicts between various political leaders and military personnel between 1910 and 1920. There were huge numbers of fights and riots. After more than 30 years in power, Diaz had called for elections in 1910 but made a mockery of democracy when he imprisoned his most powerful opponent, Francisco Madero, who was a supporter of agrarian reforms, supporting of the peasantry and the principle of non-reappointment. Diaz won the election through fraud. The protests and peasant insurrection however, did not allow the old dictator to remain in power any longer and he chose exile in France. The hopes of Mexicans though were not realized as Madero was unable to maintain order. His assassination in 1913, shook the country and sparked a torrent of passionate and bloody power struggle that lasted several years…but that is another story. From the armies of peasants of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, emerged great military leaders, Francisco “Pancho” Villa and Emiliano Zapata. They are heroes of the Mexican people. It is because of theirs as well as the people’s struggle that a new constitution that enacted public control of natural resources,made education free and compulsory and the formation of labour unions was drafted in 1917, aiming to help and protect the people. Hence, the revolution lasted from 1910 to roughly 1917.

Emiliano Zapata is the Mexican rebel leader who said “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” A former sharecropper, he organized and led peasants during the battles of the Mexican Revolution, joining forces with Pancho Villa and others to fight the government of Porfirio Diaz. Zapata supported agrarian reform and land redistribution; his rallying cry was “Land and freedom!” Though Diaz was defeated, Zapata continued to resist subsequent government leaders as they were viewed as incompetent and did not realize the hopes and dreams of the Mexican people. He was ambushed and shot by Mexican troops in 1919. Zapata remains to this day a folk hero in Mexico.

It is said that Pancho Villa was a brutal modern-day version of Robin Hood. He is a hero to some and a villain to others. Born a peasant, Doroteo Arango was on the run from the law from an early age. According to legend, he shot to death a wealthy landowner who had raped his sister. He fled into the mountains and then joined a bandit gang led by Francisco “Pancho” Villa. When that Villa was killed, Arango took over his name and his gang. In 1910 the new Villa and his men joined the revolt against Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz and fought alongside Emiliano Zapata. The revolution succeeded, but a few years later shifting alliances made Villa an outlaw again. Over the next decade, he went back and forth the U.S.-Mexico border, robbing and rustling cattle to survive, with armies from both sides unable to capture him. Villa’s sympathy for peasants and his early battles against the corrupt Diaz regime made him popular with Mexico’s poor, and his exploits were heavily publicized in the U.S. and around the world. In 1920, Villa accepted a deal with a new Mexican government, laying down his arms in exchange for thousands of acres of land in Durango. He was assassinated three years later, though his killers were never captured.

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Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende

It has been a week of remembrance here in San Miguel de Allende. The people of San Miguel, as well as all of Mexico, have been preparing offerings for their departed family members, relatives, friends, as well as public figures, loved celebrities and artists. They celebrated the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos, as it is called in Mexico. They place offerings, usually in the form of foods on altars. In San Miguel de Allende, these alters can be found in homes, public areas and buildings, like the public library (Biblioteca Publica), the police station and the radio station.

The Mexicans are amazing. It seems like they dance to everything, even death. Death is not to be feared. Here in San Miguel de Allende, I have learned that they celebrate death, even count it as a festive day. They still hold on to the ancient traditional belief of the Aztecs.  When one dies, his spirit continues to live in Mictlán.  Here all souls reside after leaving life on earth. It is said that Mictlán is not a dark or scary place, but one that is quiet and pleasant where souls rest before they continue on their journey to heaven or Tlalocan. In order to make this journey, the souls need food and water for sustenance, candles and or the bright yellow flowers to light the way, coins to pay the ferryman to get them across the river to Mictlan and a thorny staff to drive away the devil. Hence, the tradition of offering these items. There is also another version where the souls stay in Mictlán till they can come and visit their loved ones back on earth. The offerings and decorations, mentioned above, are the departed’s favorite foods, so that when their spirit comes home to visit, to share the banquet, they will enjoy themselves and then leave happily to heaven.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Day of the Dead was celebrated in August and coincided with the end of the agricultural harvest of corn, squash, chickpeas and beans. The bounty of the harvest was an intregal part of the offerings given to the dead. With the coming of Catholicism, the day was turned into an act of mourning and prayer, so that the dead could rest in peace. The indigenous tradition though was stronger and has been combined with Catholic rituals. Hence, Dia de los Muertos has become a carnival of smells, tastes and loves in which the living and the dead co-exist together for a day. Families play together with their deceased loved ones, hosting banquets on colorful alters. This eases the pain of loosing a loved one with the belief that the soul is whole and well, in the Land of the Dead. Thereby making Dia de lo Muertos a celebration full of joy and color during the day mixed with silences of night.

The Day of the Dead is actually held over 2 days: November 1st, is All Saints Day or Dia de Todos los Santos. This day is for those who led exemplary lives as well as for deceased children. November 2nd is Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. This day is for all departed loved ones. The festivities as one is collectively known as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, in San Miguel de Allende and all of Mexico.

Although altars vary from one place to another, there are several basic elements present in all. According to tradition, every altar must have 7 levels, which represents the 7 levels that souls must pass through to finally rest in peace. The day before, the altar must be swept with herbs, moving east, west, north and south, the direction of the 4 winds.  A good altar has to have all the levels. The highest and smallest level is the center of the altar, where a photo of the loved one is usually placed.

The seventh level is the last and largest level which is on the ground. This part holds firewood, coal, a brazier or three stones used to make a hearth, water and a cross made of ashes or salt. The middle levels hold the loved one’s favorite foods and other items—a doll for a child or a guitar for a guitar player, for instance. Additionally, a humorous poem about famous people is added.  Each level has to be covered with a white cloth or colored paper. All colors, except black can be used. Black is not used, as it represents sadness and darkness, which is not in accordance with the celebrations. The typical colors used are purple, green, yellow and orange. The 4 elements of nature must be present on the altar: earth, represented by the foods; wind, represented by a light moving object such as the colored and design-cut china paper with images of death in endless forms and shapes, placed on doors and hung from wall to wall; water, represented by a glass, vase or bottle of water for the soul to quench its thirst after and for the journey; and fire, represented by candles that serves as light against the darkness of death, to illuminate the path of the deceased.

The bright yellow flowers, xempaxúchil, or marigolds, also act like the candles, guiding the souls home and is used everywhere, in homes, on altars, in gardens as well as the Jardin Principal in San Miguel de Allende.

Another very popular tradition is the Pan de Muertos. To me, it signifies the coming of the day as it is sold everywhere. Every bakery sells it, even Starbucks, complete with hot chocolate! Another popular custom is to exchange calaveritas, or sugar skulls, between living friends and family

Among the foods often placed on altars are rice, pollo en mole (chicken in mole sauce), pozole (traditional Mexican corn soup), tamales (steamed, stuffed cornmeal dough), beans, corn-on-the-cob, tortillas, coffee, fruit juice, water, traditional drinks such as atole (a creamy drink made of water sugar and rice, wheat or oat flour), tepache (a fermented pineapple drink) and pulque (fermented maguey sap) and aguardiente (sugar cane brandy), beer, cigarettes, tejocotes (a seasonal native fruit), sugar cane, peanuts and Mexican candies like charamusca, a sort of taffy, garapiñado, candy-coated peanuts, and sugar skulls. A friend of mine, who is a local of San Miguel de Allende, actually tested the belief that the spirits who come to the banquet are said to consume the essence of the food, so if you tasted the food, after the appointed time they were to visit, it would have no flavor. He tasted some of the food at the altar the very next day and found that indeed, there were no smell nor flavor to any of the foods there.

Over time, more traditions were added, such as visiting cemeteries and dining on the tombs of departed family and friends. It is believed that the spirits take part in the festivities. Another custom is for family and friends to get together at the grave-site. They and clean and decorate it.  They have picnics and tell stories about the departed.  Some people even hire bands from northern Mexico or Mariachis to provide entertainment.

So you see, rather than it being a sad day for the dead, Dia de los Muertos, is a very cheerful and colorful event. The Mexicans treat death with humor. For instance, “the Grim Reaper,” is referred to irreverently as calaca (‘skeleton’), huesuda (“bones”), dientona (“toothy”) and flaca (“skinny”). For dying itself, Mexicans use playful expressions such as petatearse, estirar la pata (literally, “stretch your foot out”) and pelarse (slang for “take off”). These playful twist of words find their way into verses and sayings that make light of kicking the bucket.

I believe, for the people of San Miguel de Allende and all of Mexico, The Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of life.

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San Miguel de Allende is a very special place. We found it over a year ago and after 1 week, yes just 1 week, we packed up everything and moved to San Miguel. We had traveled all over Mexico looking for a place to call home and San Miguel had that certain something…

San Miguel de Allende began to gain international recognition after the Second World War. The Instituto Allende, to attract people to its newly reopened art and language college, sent out flyer’s to returning GI’s, allowing them to use their GI college benefits. Since then it has become a mecca for International artists and students alike. San Miguel de Allende has 100s of art galleries and studios, featuring paintings, sculptures, jewelry, home decorations, furniture, clothing. This is shopping heaven.

San Miguel de Allende has world class cooking schools and attracts chefs from all over the world. Many stay and open great restaurants. There are hundreds of restaurants in San Miguel de Allende, Italian, Spanish, Argentinian, Lebanese, Chinese, Japanese, steak houses, and of course amazing Mexican from contemporary to traditional antojitos, moles etc..

Then there are the hotels. San Miguel de Allende has some of the most beautiful hotels and bed and breakfasts in the world. Rooms with views of the city, lush secret gardens with fountains, morning coffee on the patio. It was such a great experience that we never wanted to leave. San Miguel de Allende has hotels for every budget from hostels, hotels for families, and 5 star hotels.

I think the real secrets of San Miguel de Allende are the people, culture and architecture. The people are friendly. There is a festival almost every week. There is a large expat community so many people speak English, (which is great for people who are language challenged). The revolution began in Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende, and it was the center of the silver highway so there is a ton of interesting history.
The colonial architecture is wonderful and the baroque cathedrals and churches are amazing.

La Parroquia is the largest church in San Miguel, it sits across
from the Jardin Principal. At night, lit up, it is a stunning site.

San Miguel de Allende has so much to offer. Come and discover
it’s secrets. Maybe like us, you will decide to call San Miguel
home.

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This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 6th and 7th, the little pueblo of Mineral de Pozos hosts the Second Annual Nopal
and Maguey Regional Festival.

There will be all kinds of displays of Nopal and Maguey and other related cacti, vendors, cooking demonstrations, herbalists, workshops on herbal medicine, musicians, regional dancers such as Huapango, and Folklorico, and plants and art to purchase.

The Nopal is the edible stem or pad of the prickly pear cactus. It is an important part of Mexican culture and cuisine. It is even in the Mexican coat of arms. Nopales are cooking in stews, made into salsas, scrambled with eggs or pickled with other vegetables. When the Nopal has the flavor and texture similar to green beans but cooked with too much water or other moist vegetables they become slimy like okra. There have been numerous health benefits linked to eating the Nopal cactus. At the festival there will be many tasty treats made with the Nopal cactus.

The tuna is the fruit of the prickly pear cactus and they are bright pinkor white in color. The pink fruit is sweeter when ripe, though has more seeds. The tuna has a honey dew melon taste and smaller seeds. The tunas are covered with glochids , which are microscopic spines with barbs. They are very irritating so they should be handled cautiously. At the festival you will find samples of jams,salads and other specialties made with the Tuna, including Colonche, a liquor said to pungent yet mild and almost sweet.

The Maguey cactus has also been an important part of Mexican heritage and culture dating back to the Aztecs. It was and still is used to make Pulque a fermented beverage made from the juice of the Maguay. To read more about Pulque, Chicago Foodies has a great article titled “Pulque Aztec Cactus Cooler.” At the festival you will find pulque tastings as well as mezcal, and quiote.

There is bus transportaion available only for Saturday’s festival. Tickets are sold in advance at La Tienda inside Biblioteca, and Galeria Pergola at Instituto Allende. There are only 40 seats available. The bus leaves from Liverpool at 10:00am and departs from the main Jardin in Pozos at 5:00pm

Pozos is 1,100 feet higher than San Miguel de Allende so dress in layers as the weather can change very quickly. There are no ATM machines in Pozos so bring cash.

If you decide you want to drive yourself and possibly spend the night there are a few hotel options. Casa Montana 442-293-0031, Credit cards accepted) La Posada de las Minas 442-296-0213 (credit cards accepted), and Casa Mexicana Hotel Spa 442-293-0014.

Here is a recipe I like for Nopal, from Epicurious, called Shrimp and Nopal Cactus Salad

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This is a great article! St Louis Wedding Photographer hits the Road! Destination / San Miguel de Allende

Yes just hit the road and do it!! This has been my mantra for a long time! No boundaries and no barriers.

San Miguel de Allende is a great place for a wedding. There are so many romantic places to tie the knot, secret gardens, stunning cathedrals, colonial architecture, cobble stone streets… Also there are many great restaurants, beautiful hotels, amazing vacation rentals, culture , art galleries, so much to make your wedding an amazing experience. There is everything you need for the perfect day, wedding planners (they speak english), florists, bakeries, and caterers. Also in Mexico you can find a wedding dress for much less than in the US, Europe or Canada.

In and around San Miguel de Allende there are beautiful places to host your wedding. A few of the places that come to mind are Casa Schuck, Rancho de la Capilla, Instituto de Allende, and Bellas Artes.

So for your wedding day, think about San Miguel de Allende, you won’t be disappointed.

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Exploring San Miguel de Allende is a fine article highlighting some of the finer points of San Miguel de
Allende. http://ayulittleone.blogsome.com/2008/08/28/exploring-san-miguel-de-allende/
San Miguel is a city with wonderfully preserved colonial architecture, stunning Cathedrals, beautiful gardens, a temperate climate, museums, art galleries, theater, yoga, spas, natural hot springs, cobble stone streets, amazing hotels and bed and breakfasts for every budget, fantastic shopping, great restaurants, pet friendly, a community of people concerned with about social programs and the environment. It is a great place to visit or live.

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I found a great piece discussing San Miguel de Allende and why it is an important addition to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
http://www.latinaviva.com/50226711/san_miguel_de_allende_part_of_world_heritage.php

San Miguel de Allende is a wonderful example of colonial architecture, typical Mexican culture, beautiful Cathedrals, cobble stone streets, museums, hot springs, wonderful hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and shopping galore making it a tourist paradise.

People from all over come the world to visit San Miguel de Allende. Many fall in love with the ambiance, cultural and beauty and never leave.

After traveling all over Mexico searching for the perfect place , we now call San Miguel de Allende home.

A place we never tire of seeing is Atotonilco which is just a few minutes drive from San Miguel de Allende. It is listed with the Worlds Monument Fund as one of the world’s 100 most endangered monuments. Maybe UNESCO should consider Atotonilco as it’s next site for funding?
The church is sometimes referred to as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas.” Almost every square inch of the walls and ceilings inside the Sanctuary is covered with Mexican folk art.

For now it is wonderful that San Miguel de Allende comes under UNESCO’s protective umbrella as a site for future generations to behold.

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There is so much to see and do in San Miguel de Allende that you could spend weeks maybe even months, exploring. There are beautiful Cathedrals, gardens, colonial architecture, museums, art galleries and shopping. There are world renowned music festivals, jazz clubs, rock clubs and salsa dancing. There are wine bars, tequila and martini bars. It is rated as the best singles city in all of Mexico. There are world famous art schools and cooking schools. Explore beautiful colonial homes on the home and garden tour. Everyday is a holiday in San Miguel de Allende with more than 53 festivals, celebrated throughout the year. Come and explore San Miguel de Allende and see why so many people come for a visit and many stay.

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The thirtieth annual chamber music festival in San Miguel de Allende was a big hit this year. Ticket sales were up over last year. There were over thirty shows and over half of them were free. Over forty-two international musicians from all over Mexico, the United States and Europe participated and twenty-one young, advanced music students attended the student program.

The International Chamber Music Festival is held every year in San Miguel de Allende from July 31^st to August 17^th and is the second most important international music festival in Mexico.

This year, audiences were able to appreciate all types of contemporary chamber music from the bold Ahn Trio, the traditional Ying String Quartet and the Miami String Quartet, the very different Synergy Brass and the Mexican musicians such as Cuarteto Carlos Chavez, Quinteto Alientos, and Arveiros Vocal Quartet.

The student program was a tremendous success. The program is for young advanced music students from all over the world. It lasts for two weeks and costs only two thousand pesos (approximately two hundred USD). Included are master classes and workshops taught by the different visiting chamber groups, a chance to give indoor and outdoor concerts, all over San Miguel, and full room and board at a host families house. Former students have gone on to achieve prominence as soloists and members of full ensembles in Mexico and other countries.

For information about next years chamber music festival or the student program go to the official festival website: http://www.chambermusicfestival.com/

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Discovering San Miguel de Allende

Have you ever been to a place and you walked through it and said to yourself, this is it! This is where I want to be! This is where I want to stay for forever? Well that is what happened to us when we spent a week, In San Miguel de Allende.

We had explored Mexico, extensively. We had traveled through Baja, Durango, Sonora, spent time on the northern beaches, lived for 7 years outside of Colima, traveled to Cancun, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michiocan, you name and we had been there. We had even been to Guanajuato a few times but never San Miguel de Allende.

Then we decided to go and spend the week. After just three days we knew, this was THE place we had been searching for.

It had culture, beauty, great restaurants, friendly people, lots of history, beautiful colonial houses, temperate climate and we could be at the beach in a day’s drive or a short flight from the near by International Leon or Queretaro airports. What more could you ask for?

No wonder it is called the jewel of colonial Mexico and was declared a National Monument in 1926.

So we did what any crazy person would do, we found a place to rent, and within the next 2 weeks, we went back to our house in Colima, packed everything and moved to San Miguel de Allende.

My favorite thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to spend the day riding ATV’s or laying by the pools at La Gruta or at Taboada Hot Springs. At night, we love to have a great dinner and a glass of wine with friends at one of the numerous restaurants in San Miguel. Afterwards we enjoy a stroll through the Jardin Principal, and listen to the Mariachis, while gazing upwards at the beautiful and wondrous Parroquia Arcangel de San Miguel. At night, I never tire of looking at La Parroquia with the lights shining on the pink sandstone exterior and its gothic towers. Iglesia San Rafael, which is to the left of La Parroquia is beautiful as well. It reminds me of the tower of London.

Many people come to San Miguel for the art galleries, art and or langauge schools, such as Instituto Allende but don’t forget about the wonderful cooking schools as well.

San Miguel has a lot to offer. Come and discover why we and many others have chosen San Miguel de Allende as a vacation destination or as a place to call home.

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