TRADITIONS OF MY TOWN

by Thalia Vázquez Serrano

The identity of Mexico started with the cultures. They built a city which they called Mesoamerica.  The place was the scene of empires located in central and southern Mexico. The ancient civilizations made houses from mud and bricks, were fishermen, built pyramids and used boats to transport goods.  They went to school and learned history, myths and religion, a new language.  Their most popular game was a ball game. They played music, danced, ate corn, avocados and chilli peppers. However, following the Spanish conquest, there were changes to their customs, religion, education, food, clothes, dresses. Gradually, they lost their traditions.  Spain was a dominant colonial power and exerted significant influence over the Mexican’s way of life.

Through of the time, Mexico have changed about the religion according with the Spanish conquest because the religion before was the base of mythical gods, to change, now the people believe in saints; was of influence of the Spanish together with the friars; actually Mexico is polytheistic, only a few are monotheistic, the most popular religion is the Catholicism.  Also according with the religion tradition arise day of the virgin of Guadalupe, day of the dead, day of all saint, Easter week, Las posadas, Christmas Eve.

In my village the people celebrate day Corpus Cristi, they ask for to god the send the rain the first Thursday of June, each year is shown by the people beginning this particular celebration, is very interesting this traditions because have a purpose, it is about a group of 6 people, only older, decide walking to the temple on this day of Corpus Cristi, to make prayer to GOD. They believed were not worthy to look at God face to face, then they to take a wood masks and maguey trunks. their clothes were the ordinary, sacks of ixtle, hallate and blanket, these 6 men meet, one representing the father and another the mother, and others the sons, forming a family, these prayed all day and all night. The principal characteristic is a bull represents evil and disease and the Old Corpus are going to fight it. The bull plays with them in the yard. When they are in the downtown Old Corpus start a tour around the square, they offering a dance and in exchange they receive a product, this is to give their alms and products obtained to Virgin of Guadalupe. If you walk around the downtown you can see all kinds of masks design. Some of my family participate in the celebration Corpus Cristi, is a tradition of Temascalcingo, land of the painter Jose Maria Velasco. The most popular international painter of Mexico for his paintings