Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:58:30 -0500
From: stefano_giovannini
Subject: guadalupe nyc

12 december
went to 14 street and 8th av
to see how the immigrants from mexico celebrate mary "our lady of guadalupe".
there is a church dedicated to her . I remember a couple of years ago walking by and see mob of people at midnight with roses in their hands.
yesterday was one of those december dark grey sun-less sundays.
there were stands selling the most colorful ritual souvenirs.
rosaries - prints - t shirts - reproductions. box frames with a lightbulb inside. some stuff made in china - some stuff looked handmade craft.
on the sidewalk big steamy pots - tamales for a dollar - hot rice milk and cinnamon - corn on the cob with paprika and mayonnaise.
there was one of those taco trucks too rare in new york city.
we walked into the church and there was some sort of bingo hall in the basement.
a couple of hundred people sitting enjoying home country entertainment.
mariachis - dancers - a cappella version of roberta flack's "angelitos negros".
there is some sort of strange mix
between catholicism and pre-christian religious mythology.
there is no white mexican - those of european spanish origin.
native-americans? native-mexicans? west indians? what should they be categorized?
are they considered hispanics even if they don't really show much spanish blood?
upstairs in the church itself there is a procession of parents that take their kids to the altar and take a picture with their camera phones. boys - girls - babies dressed with incredible and colorful costumes. ponchos - bandanas - sombreros.
there is no mass. people seem to just be sitting and waiting.
some are kneeling and praying in front of crucifixes and images of saints in the side aisles.
I am surprised how they are comfortable to be in front of a stranger's camera.
the parents are happy and proud if I want to take a photo of their kids.
it is a strange peaceful atmosphere -
somehow mysterious. something different than other festivals.

wikipedia.org

is an amazing source of info.

here is the link for the entry
our lady of guadalupe

worth reading!

-- 
bye
stefano
website
http://stefanogiovannini.com