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| El K'oche and the Flaming Toros: Join us for our Colorful Village Celebrations in Honor of the Patron Saints of Santa Elena, Near Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico |
| Cultural Event: El K'oche, a Celebration in Honor of the Patron Saint of the Village of Santa Elena |
Many of our village traditions here in Santa Elena, from dances to religious processions and foods, have changed little since the
time when John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood stayed here in 1839. I shall tell you briefly about one in
particular that happens every year in January. Beginning at the beginning.
San Mateo is the Patron Saint of our village along with Santo Cristo de Amor. However, San Mateo is more fun. People
believe that the statue of him came from the well in the village square. This is not actually a well, but a tunnel-like entrance
down which you descend. The people say the tunnel went all the way to Mani, about 40 kilometers away, and that the Maya
used it to escape the Spaniards during the Caste War. Perhaps this was so, but the entrance is blocked now, and one
cannot enter. Regardless, we have our San Mateo, and being our village patron saint we honor him in January with a two
week blow-out celebration. Small tinny parades made up of just 4 or 5 instruments break the dawn playing "Cielito Lindo",
while sky rockets send you flying out of bed. They want to make sure they have your attention, and it works. The band is
accompanying the Saint to the house that will be hosting it for the next 2 days. The participants are members of a religious group,
chosen long ago to host it each particular year. It is a three day cycle, moving from house to house, involving traditional foods,
day and night, religious processions of the Saint from the church through the streets to the host family, the "Dance of the
Turkey" and a procession called the K'oche.
The Dance of the Turkey, and another dance called the "Dance of the Pig's Head," are all performed by girls from the village,
each dressed in their finest embroidered traditional formal gown called a "terno", along with various participating men,
and using ribbons and streamers woven into intricate patterns at various stops. The dance and procession proceeds through
the village from one chosen host house to the next. This is done only once during the two week period, the last Saturday in the
month, such is its involvement.
The K'oche, however, is performed several times. You listen for the music and the voladores, (loud, exploding sky rockets),
and you know it is beginning in some part of the village. This is actually a transfer of goods, from one house to the next.
Everything the families need to prepare and serve the traditional foods being made and offered in honor of San Mateo, from
cookware to serving utensils, cups, plates, bowls, to the table to prepare and serve it on. It would all be too much for one family
to buy, own, and store, so this is a joint effort and it is taken from family to family - complete with inventory list! This could be
done quietly and with no fanfare, but what would be the fun in that? So somehow this could-have-been tedious event, has been
made into an amazing procession.
This typically happens in the late afternoon, but it can vary widely, and certainly has no set date. You just need to be in the
village in late January. Should you be so lucky, you will also have sneezing fits and watering eyes, as clouds of invisible
"chili dust" float through the air: burned chili paste being the key ingredient for the "chili relleno negro", prepared and
served every day using turkeys and pork. All those turkeys you saw in November and December will now be gone at the
end of January, offered up to the Saints. Chilies will raise to a ridiculous price, and heaven only knows what would happen if
there was a crop failure!
In the actual K'oche procession, the girls from the receiving houses are transported through the streets on a table-like platform,
dressed to the 9's in traditional gowns. They are supported on the shoulders of several hefty young men, and proceeded by the
loudly playing, off tune band. It is definitely a hilarious affair.
The whole point of this is to give thanks for past harvests, and pray for the future ones, as well as the safety of the family.
There is an actual "rosario", special prayers that are performed in the church by elder women who know how such things are
to be done. These prayer sessions are done before the Saint is taken out of the church in the evening in a long candle lit affair,
through the streets to the current host family. Meanwhile another "celebration" is being prepared at the base of the church hill,
a "toro". No one really knows where this came from. It involves making a wood slat and paper mache structure, vaguely
resembling a bull, and covering it with jillions of firecrackers. Then you convince some young village man to get inside,
and DANCE, while all the firecrackers are lit and going off! And dance he does, spinning wildly through the crowd, charging
around the plaza, as firecrackers spiral out of control through the people, rockets and voladores bursting overhead, and the
crowd loves it. Kids shrieking, old ladies covering their heads with their rebozos, men setting off the rockets from the church
hill top, it is a sight to behold. If the family receiving the Saint has money that year, there may be 4 or 5 such bulls. There are
never a lack of contestants to "dance" inside one of these crazy bulls.
All this is being carried out for the Saints to see and enjoy. Both Mateo and Santo Cristo de Amor are carried out of the church
to watch. They say the voladores are to make sure they have their attention. I say they know what's coming and go to Miami fo
a week of peace and quiet!
Dancing bulls can be seen at 4 different times from December to January. They are new "bulls" each time, as the old one, is, um,
rather SCORCHED after the performance! If you happen to be here on the evenings of December 7th, 11th, or 24th, you
have good chances of seeing men dancing in the firecracker-covered paper mache bulls. They are prepared by individual
families for celebrations in honor of the Virgin Concepcion on December 8th, Guadalupe (Patron Saint of all Mexico) on
December 12th, and the Baby Jesus Christ on December 25th. The dancing bulls, complete with fire rockets and candle lit
processions from the church, are used during the celebrations that take place on the evenings before each date. It is
common for anyone so lucky as to be born on any of those dates, to be so named. Anyone born on the 8th will be called
Concepcion, male or female. There are men with the name of Guadalupe also. A different way to celebrate Christmas and
begin the holidays.
And Stephens and Catherwood saw it all, over 165 years ago.....
Kristine,
Flycatcher Inn, Santa Elena Read about our village history.
15 minutes southeast of Uxmal in Yucatan, Mexico Click here for pictures of our village, or our colorful village celebrations.
time when John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood stayed here in 1839. I shall tell you briefly about one in
particular that happens every year in January. Beginning at the beginning.
San Mateo is the Patron Saint of our village along with Santo Cristo de Amor. However, San Mateo is more fun. People
believe that the statue of him came from the well in the village square. This is not actually a well, but a tunnel-like entrance
down which you descend. The people say the tunnel went all the way to Mani, about 40 kilometers away, and that the Maya
used it to escape the Spaniards during the Caste War. Perhaps this was so, but the entrance is blocked now, and one
cannot enter. Regardless, we have our San Mateo, and being our village patron saint we honor him in January with a two
week blow-out celebration. Small tinny parades made up of just 4 or 5 instruments break the dawn playing "Cielito Lindo",
while sky rockets send you flying out of bed. They want to make sure they have your attention, and it works. The band is
accompanying the Saint to the house that will be hosting it for the next 2 days. The participants are members of a religious group,
chosen long ago to host it each particular year. It is a three day cycle, moving from house to house, involving traditional foods,
day and night, religious processions of the Saint from the church through the streets to the host family, the "Dance of the
Turkey" and a procession called the K'oche.
The Dance of the Turkey, and another dance called the "Dance of the Pig's Head," are all performed by girls from the village,
each dressed in their finest embroidered traditional formal gown called a "terno", along with various participating men,
and using ribbons and streamers woven into intricate patterns at various stops. The dance and procession proceeds through
the village from one chosen host house to the next. This is done only once during the two week period, the last Saturday in the
month, such is its involvement.
The K'oche, however, is performed several times. You listen for the music and the voladores, (loud, exploding sky rockets),
and you know it is beginning in some part of the village. This is actually a transfer of goods, from one house to the next.
Everything the families need to prepare and serve the traditional foods being made and offered in honor of San Mateo, from
cookware to serving utensils, cups, plates, bowls, to the table to prepare and serve it on. It would all be too much for one family
to buy, own, and store, so this is a joint effort and it is taken from family to family - complete with inventory list! This could be
done quietly and with no fanfare, but what would be the fun in that? So somehow this could-have-been tedious event, has been
made into an amazing procession.
This typically happens in the late afternoon, but it can vary widely, and certainly has no set date. You just need to be in the
village in late January. Should you be so lucky, you will also have sneezing fits and watering eyes, as clouds of invisible
"chili dust" float through the air: burned chili paste being the key ingredient for the "chili relleno negro", prepared and
served every day using turkeys and pork. All those turkeys you saw in November and December will now be gone at the
end of January, offered up to the Saints. Chilies will raise to a ridiculous price, and heaven only knows what would happen if
there was a crop failure!
In the actual K'oche procession, the girls from the receiving houses are transported through the streets on a table-like platform,
dressed to the 9's in traditional gowns. They are supported on the shoulders of several hefty young men, and proceeded by the
loudly playing, off tune band. It is definitely a hilarious affair.
The whole point of this is to give thanks for past harvests, and pray for the future ones, as well as the safety of the family.
There is an actual "rosario", special prayers that are performed in the church by elder women who know how such things are
to be done. These prayer sessions are done before the Saint is taken out of the church in the evening in a long candle lit affair,
through the streets to the current host family. Meanwhile another "celebration" is being prepared at the base of the church hill,
a "toro". No one really knows where this came from. It involves making a wood slat and paper mache structure, vaguely
resembling a bull, and covering it with jillions of firecrackers. Then you convince some young village man to get inside,
and DANCE, while all the firecrackers are lit and going off! And dance he does, spinning wildly through the crowd, charging
around the plaza, as firecrackers spiral out of control through the people, rockets and voladores bursting overhead, and the
crowd loves it. Kids shrieking, old ladies covering their heads with their rebozos, men setting off the rockets from the church
hill top, it is a sight to behold. If the family receiving the Saint has money that year, there may be 4 or 5 such bulls. There are
never a lack of contestants to "dance" inside one of these crazy bulls.
All this is being carried out for the Saints to see and enjoy. Both Mateo and Santo Cristo de Amor are carried out of the church
to watch. They say the voladores are to make sure they have their attention. I say they know what's coming and go to Miami fo
a week of peace and quiet!
Dancing bulls can be seen at 4 different times from December to January. They are new "bulls" each time, as the old one, is, um,
rather SCORCHED after the performance! If you happen to be here on the evenings of December 7th, 11th, or 24th, you
have good chances of seeing men dancing in the firecracker-covered paper mache bulls. They are prepared by individual
families for celebrations in honor of the Virgin Concepcion on December 8th, Guadalupe (Patron Saint of all Mexico) on
December 12th, and the Baby Jesus Christ on December 25th. The dancing bulls, complete with fire rockets and candle lit
processions from the church, are used during the celebrations that take place on the evenings before each date. It is
common for anyone so lucky as to be born on any of those dates, to be so named. Anyone born on the 8th will be called
Concepcion, male or female. There are men with the name of Guadalupe also. A different way to celebrate Christmas and
begin the holidays.
And Stephens and Catherwood saw it all, over 165 years ago.....
Kristine,
Flycatcher Inn, Santa Elena Read about our village history.
15 minutes southeast of Uxmal in Yucatan, Mexico Click here for pictures of our village, or our colorful village celebrations.
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