The 10 most important traditions of the state of Veracruz

Mexico is a country with a culture in which, like other places in the American continent, a melting pot is mixed of ethnic groups with influences from both the Aztec, Mayan and Inca civilizations as well as those imported by the Spanish and portuguese

The state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the most interesting places in the Mexican country. Both its capital, Xalapa-Enríquez, and its most populous city, with which it shares its name, are places where celebrate and carry out centuries-old traditions and customs, in which you can observe the immaterial wealth of the mexicans.

Their colours, their dresses, the way in which they treat a subject as dark for Europeans as death, in which they cannot missing the bright colors, are some of the identity symbols of both the Veracruz region and the country in which it is located. finds.

Let's see a sample of this fascinating culture through a review of the most important Veracruz traditions.

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10 traditions of the state of Veracruz

These are several Veracruz traditions that characterize the cultural life of this state of Mexico.

1. Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

This Veracruz celebration It is celebrated on December 12 and commemorates the apparition of the Virgin on the hill of Tepeyac.

During the festivity, a replica of the Virgin made of cardboard and decorated with flowers is loaded. Different communities are in charge of carrying the figure to the church, accompanying it along the way with songs and religious music. Even during the celebration you can see one of the most identifying symbols of Mexico, the mariachis, who sing to the Virgin.

2. Feast of All the Dead

It lasts several days. Is about a time to pay homage to the dead and spend more time with family. The deceased are remembered, praying for them so that their souls reach heaven or the world of the dead.

Altars are built with offerings to those who are no longer there, placing skulls decorated in very striking ways, flowers of the dead and other ornaments. The deceased are also visited in the cemeteries.

The celebration of this festivity stands out for being very different from how homage is paid to the dead in Europe. This is due to the influence of Aztec culture in the region, since the Aztecs celebrated deaths in a more festive and colorful way than in the old continent.

3. Dance of the Papantla Flyers

Is about a ceremony in which participants dance and attempt to climb a 30-meter-high pole to jump from the highest end with the only safeguard that some ropes to hang from it.

Five people participate, four of whom jump and one remains on top dancing, playing the flute and drum.

4. chicken in peanuts

Gastronomy cannot be missing as an identity element of any culture. El pollo encacahuatado is a traditional dish from Veracruz, and basically consists of a chicken breast with sauce made from peanuts.

Nuts are an ingredient widely used by Veracruzans to add a touch of creaminess to sauces.

5. Carnival in Veracruz

Carnival is an element that cannot be missing in all Latin American culture and Veracruz is a benchmark in this celebration.

Known as the happiest Carnival in the world, the one celebrated in this state lasts about 9 days and It has 6 large parades with more than 30 floats, in addition to multiple events such as concerts and social events. The mix between the Mesoamerican, the European and the African is noticeable in the region's carnival, where its people are dressed in colorful costumes dancing to rhythms with Afro-Cuban reminiscences. Although the Catholic Church, when trying to evangelize the region, disapproved of this pagan holiday, it did not prevent it from surviving to this day.

Today, the Veracruz carnival It begins with the "burning of bad humor" and ends with the burial of "Juan Carnaval".

As time went by, it became a little more elaborate, with dances intended for more select groups, without forgetting the most popular celebrations.

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6. Spring Festivals

Normally, it is celebrated in places where vestiges of the Totonac culture remain, which was characterized by being very advanced in terms of astronomy. People dance in places like El Tajín, Papantla, to nourish themselves with the energy of the rays of the spring sun..

This type of dance is also done in other places in the state, such as Cempoala or Santiago de Tuxla.

7. Festivities of San Mateo de Naolinco

This festival is celebrated in the municipality of Naolinco, and homage is paid to Saint Matthew the Apostle. It begins on September 19, although the most important day is 21.

Before the 21st arrives, the neighbors get together sharing cookies, tamales, sandwiches, coffee and other typical foods of the region. In the morning of that day the procession begins. In addition, as a European import, the fights between Moors and Christians are represented as a commemoration of the conquest of the Iberian peoples against the Muslims.

8. Candlemas Festival

It is a fairly widespread celebration in the Mexican state, whose origins are not entirely clear and is explained by two legends.

One of the legends says that this party It is based on the celebration of the natives towards their goddess Chalchiuhtlicua, who was the deity of waters, such as rivers, seas and lakes. It is said that with the arrival of the Spanish, the indigenous pantheon was replaced by Christian saints and virgins, being the Virgen de la Candelaria who was in charge of supplanting the goddess of the waters, since this virgin is the protector of the fishermen.

The second legend maintains that the origin of this celebration is that this Virgin, of Andalusian origin, protected and took care of the sailors who lived on the island of Tlaxcotialapan.

Whatever it is that has made the people of Veracruz celebrate this festival, there is no doubt about the great influence of the Spanish on the ancestral Totonac culture.

9. The branch

La Rama is a Christmas tradition which takes place between December 16 and 24. These are processions in which the participants carry leafy branches or poles decorated with paper lanterns and candles, as well as orange peels, colored paper chains and figures religious. They go through the streets stopping at each house to ask for some alms, in the form of sweets, money or some other type of cooperation.

This tradition arises from the mixture of indigenous influences of the region, Afro-Cuban and Spanish. The ancient towns that settled in what is now Veracruz celebrated in December a party in which they carried a branch called versúchil that represented the renewal of nature.

10. The lost Boy

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, when he was 12 years old, got lost in Jerusalem during the Easter holidays. They searched for him for three days until they found him in the Temple of the city. This story was used by Fray Junípero de Serra in the 18th century when he went to evangelize the peoples of the Mexican region., becoming with the passage of time a tradition well established in Veracruz.

On December 7 at 7 p.m. a whistle blows announcing the start of the festivity. The streets are left in the dark, with the only lighting from the candles that mark the way to the church. The light will Guide the baby Jesus so that he can arrive safely at the temple.

Bibliographic references:

• Debroise, O. (2005). Mexican fugue. A tour of photography in Mexico. Gustavo Gili.
• Garcia de Leon, A. (2016). The sea of ​​desires. FCE, Mexico.