FESTIVALS OF MEXICO, The Blessing of the Animals, Guest Post by Ann Stalcup

52 Places to Go: Week 49

Blessing of the Animals, Los Angeles, CA

My friend and fellow author Ann Stalcup has been fascinated by Mexican customs and culture for many years. She has taken numerous photographs in the Mexican communities of Los Angeles, California, where cultural events are celebrated frequently throughout the year. She has also visited areas of Mexico where she has observed many of the traditional festivals including The Blessing of the Animals, The Day of the Dead, and A Mexican Christmas. Here are a few of her photos and comments on the Blessing of the Animals.

THE BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS is celebrated each year on Saturday, the day before Easter. In Los Angeles, California, people gather with their pets at the historic center of the city on Olvera Street for this festival. Their pets can be as large as a horse or as small as a mouse, and each one is decorated with ribbons, hats, or flowers. Every type of pet is welcome. Many participants dress in colorful Mexican costumes. Everyone waits patiently in line as the robed priest sprinkles each pet with holy water and blesses it, thus ensuring a happy, healthy year ahead.

The Blessing of the Animals is a ceremony that has been a tradition for many years in some of the cities, towns, and villages of Mexico. Children bring their birds, crickets, frogs, lizards and other pets to be blessed.  There are rabbits and turtles, rats, guinea pigs, and monkeys.  There are parrots, canaries, and fish. Sometimes there is even a pet tarantula in the parade!

Mariachi Band

Before the parade begins a mariachi band of men dressed in elegant grey trousers and jackets perform their lively music.  Trumpets in harmony with violins get everyone in the mood for the fiesta.

At last the priest appears in his long robes.  He is usually one of the bishops of Los Angeles. People line up to have their animals blessed.  They celebrate on the plaza afterward.

Blessing of the Animals, Mural by Leo Politi

Near the plaza on Olvera Street is a beautiful mural of The Blessing of the Animals.  It was painted by Leo Politi, a Los Angeles artist.  He loved to paint children and wrote and illustrated many books for children about the special events that occurred in the city he loved.

Leo Politi at work on the mural

Ann Stalcup is the author of Leo Politi: Artist of the Angels (Silver Moon Press, 2004). For more information about Ann and her published work, visit her at her website: www.annstalcup.com

This post was first published at The Intrepid Tourist 9/8/14.

FESTIVALS OF MEXICO, A Mexican Christmas, Guest Post by Ann Stalcup

Procession with men carrying a platform with figures of Mary and Joseph

My friend and fellow author Ann Stalcup has been fascinated by Mexican customs and culture for many years. She has taken numerous photographs in the Mexican communities of Los Angeles where cultural events are celebrated frequently throughout the year. She has also visited areas of Mexico where she has observed many of the traditional festivals including the Blessing of the Animals, the Day of the Dead, and Christmas. Here are a few of her photos of Mexican Christmas celebrations.

Children dressed as angels

MEXICAN CHRISTMAS celebrations begin with parades held from December 16 to December 24 that re-enact how Mary and Joseph searched for a place to stay when Jesus' birth was imminent. Each night, costumed shepherds led by angels visit a different store in the community and plead in song for shelter. In Los Angeles, California, many people gather in Olvera Street to take part in the celebration.  After a short prayer, children dressed angels lead the way in the Las Posadas procession. On the last night of Las Posadas, the Baby Jesus will have been added to the manger scene or nacimiento.

Nacimiento

Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6th, the traditional gift-giving day.  Two thousand years ago, the Three Kings journeyed to worship the baby Jesus and bring him gifts.  In memory of this, on Epiphany Eve (January 5th), children put their shoes on the ends of their beds, in their windows, or on their balcony.  In Mexico, as Los Tres Reyes pass through each village and town on the way to see the Christ Child in Bethlehem, they leave gifts in each child’s shoes.

Children dressed as the Three Kings

The Christmas festivities end with Candelaria, a day when Mexican families bring elaborately-dressed Jesus dolls to be blessed in church.  Choosing an outfit is not easy.  Some are embroidered, others are decorated with lace.  Some dolls have gold crowns and bishop’s hats and white doves. Not only does the baby need clothing, He needs a special chair too.  He will sit in it until the Christmas season starts again.

Jesus dolls

For more information about Ann and her published work, visit her at her website: www.annstalcup.com 
You can look for Ann's earlier posts on this blog on Mexican celebrations:  The Blessing of the Animals 9/8/14, and the Day of the Dead 10/27/14.

FESTIVALS OF MEXICO, The Blessing of the Animals, Guest Post by Ann Stalcup

My friend and fellow author Ann Stalcup has been fascinated by Mexican customs and culture for many years. She has taken numerous photographs in the Mexican communities of Los Angeles, California, where cultural events are celebrated frequently throughout the year. She has also visited areas of Mexico where she has observed many of the traditional festivals including The Blessing of the Animals, The Day of the Dead, and A Mexican Christmas. Here are a few of her photos and comments on the Blessing of the Animals.

THE BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS is celebrated each year on Saturday, the day before Easter. In Los Angeles, California, people gather with their pets at the historic center of the city on Olvera Street for this festival. Their pets can be as large as a horse or as small as a mouse, and each one is decorated with ribbons, hats, or flowers. Every type of pet is welcome. Many participants dress in colorful Mexican costumes. Everyone waits patiently in line as the robed priest sprinkles each pet with holy water and blesses it, thus ensuring a happy, healthy year ahead.

The Blessing of the Animals is a ceremony that has been a tradition for many years in some of the cities, towns, and villages of Mexico. Children bring their birds, crickets, frogs, lizards and other pets to be blessed.  There are rabbits and turtles, rats, guinea pigs, and monkeys.  There are parrots, canaries, and fish. Sometimes there is even a pet tarantula in the parade!

Mariachi Band

Before the parade begins a mariachi band of men dressed in elegant grey trousers and jackets perform their lively music.  Trumpets in harmony with violins get everyone in the mood for the fiesta.

At last the priest appears in his long robes.  He is usually one of the bishops of Los Angeles. People line up to have their animals blessed.  They celebrate on the plaza afterward.

Blessing of the Animals, Mural by Leo Politi

Near the plaza on Olvera Street is a beautiful mural of The Blessing of the Animals.  It was painted by Leo Politi, a Los Angeles artist.  He loved to paint children and wrote and illustrated many books for children about the special events that occurred in the city he loved.

Leo Politi at work on the mural

Ann Stalcup is the author of Leo Politi: Artist of the Angels (Silver Moon Press, 2004). For more information about Ann and her published work, visit her at her website: www.annstalcup.com