Guadalupan Procession 3 PM TODAY (12/12)

On my way home from Orquesta GarDel last night, I stopped in at Durham's Immaculate Conception Church. It was just the right time to catch the last of the Mañanitas for the Virgin of Guadalupe, which went from midnight to 4 am. While I missed the mariachis (doh!), I was just in time to see a new addition to the celebration this year: banda, a thunderous brass, woodwind and percussion ensemble, derived from the tradition of military marching bands.







12.12. is a busy day for Mexican musicians, and Los Guanajuatenses told me they had already performed for a baptism earlier that day. After this 4 am set, they quickly departed the church by a side door, and headed home to Raleigh. Just enough time to rest up for the next gig--this afternoon, in Creedmoor.



Because the Virgin's day falls on a Sunday this year, the parade and procession today will be earlier than usual--3 pm--and will take a longer route through the Burch/Morehead Street neighborhoods. Anyone is welcome to come observe and/or walk with the procession, which is a mingling of parade floats, songs, dancers, and congregants from various folk traditions all over Mexico. It's a sight worth seeing. There's usually hot chocolate and sweet rolls or tamales at the church afterwards, and more indigenous dance groups. You'll find the church right at the Chapel Hill Road Exit 13, off Durham Freeway.

Day of Devotions

Some pictures (link to my flickr set) from the procession through Durham's Burch Avenue neighborhood on 12/12, at 12 noon, for la Virgen de Guadalupe. Believe it or not, a rose bush outside the Church was in bloom. These store-bought roses were carried as a dais in the procession, then placed inside the sanctuary:



It was cold (40s), but we were lucky the rain held off until that evening. There was a mass after the procession, with dancing outside before and after. Some very sweet hot chocolate, coffee, a cocoa drink made with corn meal, some VERY DELICIOUS red tamales, and some sweet bread and rolls were served.

As every year, I ran into friends, old and new. I spoke with Irma Aguirre, whose photo in the black tilma with Guadalupe on it I run every year. She's an elder of the church whom I met the very first time I "met" Guadalupe, when I stumbled into a procession one summer to honor the new statue of the Virgin that had just been purchased (2004? 2005?). Curious, and not sure whether I was there to observe or to participate, I went along with Irma when she took me firmly by the arm, as we sang Guadalupan songs from her lyric sheet. She was there Saturday, as always, following the float with a microphone, leading the singing. Irma told me she's a mother of 13, but I suspect she's like a mother to many more than that.



Javier Solis, who runs security at the Guadalupan events every year, was keeping kids under parental supervision at all times, and keeping an eye out for gang members. To my surprise, he said he'd seen a few that day. There was an off-duty officer they'd hired on site. All was calm and bright as far as I could see, so I guess Javier and his crew had things under control. Among the invited demons to watch out for was this guy: I didn't notice it at the time, but he has a Teletubby doll hanging around his neck.



New friends made: Bolivar and Maximino, experts in pre-Hispanic dances from Tolucca, who have a dance group out in Wendell. They said they're going to call me when they perform; hopefully I'll get some video of that eventually. Maximino gave me a live demo of the deer dance, Venado, which whet my appetite to learn more about the different dances. These guys were spending the whole day visiting various churches for Marian devotions; from here, they were on their way to Clayton for a reenactment of the apparition of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, and a mass.



It's a hodgepodge of Guadalupan traditions from all over Mexico that meet on the streets of Durham; N&O reporter John Murawski gleaned this interesting fact for his story from my friend Javier. The Viejitos are from a region of Michoacan; they wear masks that resemble distinctly pink old men with pointed chins and white beards. They wear wooden sandals which act like tap shoes or clogs, and dance hunched over with canes. Also from Michoacan, I think, are the Inditas (a Mexican name for them, called something else here, but I don't remember), ladies with shiny satin aprons, braided hair and shawls.

People came out of their homes to watch the procession, some in wonderment. A woman asked me what this was, and I told her. She had a tear in her eye. Her name was Gwen.

The sun came out briefly as I photographed this mother and her daughter in a matachine costume at the end of the procession. Despite the chill in the air, there was a blessed warmth on the streets of Durham.

12/12 Celebrations in Durham

La Virgen de Guadalupe celebrations at the Immaculate Conception Church in Durham start tonight, FRIDAY 12/11 with a short procession at 6:30 pm.

Matachine dancers will be dancing in La Maldita Vecindad (informal name for an apartment complex on Hwy 98/Alston Ave) from 9 pm on; last year there was a shrine, snacks and drinks, and this went on all night until morning mass at the church.



A welcome change from when I first started going to these things is that the church will be open much earlier, from 11 pm tonight on, for Las Mananitas--singing "happy birthday" to the Virgin at her shrine inside the sanctuary, starting at midnight, with mariachis, roses, roses, and more roses, until 12/12 early morning mass at 5 am.

Saturday, 12/12 celebrations continue at 12 Noon with a longer procession through the Burch Avenue neighborhood. This is something worthwhile if you've never seen or walked in one before. I've never done it by daylight, as this used to take place Saturday night.

It's my personal feeling and opinion that you don't have to believe in anything, or be a Catholic, to come participate in this as a neighborhood community event. It promotes cultural diversity and some values I think most of us share: peace, community, dignity, and for a lot of people, faith. Check it out.

Links:

Full 2009 Schedule of Events PDF at Immaculate Conception Church website

2005 Indy Story and photo essay on the Virgin's Feast Day at Immaculate Conception Church, Durham

Antorcha Guadalupana in Durham SATURDAY

The Antorcha Guadalupana, an annual torch run for human dignity from Mexico City's Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe to New York City, is passing through Durham this SATURDAY (11/28) around 6:30 - 7:00 pm.

Apparently Mayor Bill Bell will be among those speaking at the event at the Immaculate Conception Church on Chapel Hill St.



Festivities for the Virgin of Guadalupe begin in earnest the evening before 12/12, her feast day. Guadalupe is Mexico's "mother" and the patron saint of the Americas, and the celebrations include indigenous masked dancers, mariachis, food, flowers, processions and religious services (Catholic mass).

Here's some of my footage from past celebrations of the Virgin around Durham.

12.12.08

Some photos from the procession. More pictures by clicking on...

La Maldita Vecindad

This was my first visit to "la maldita vecindad." The directions were not very good, but I saw red, green and white lights from the highway and recognized the buildings from the documentary.



This beautiful shrine was set up in a alcove constructed out of plywood at one end of the large event tent. As you poked your head in, the smell of roses and perfumed candles hit you. The dance formations were oriented toward it, so it seemed like the matachines were offering their dances to her. I heard one person approach the shrine and speak to her. So the shrine seemed to function like a living presence or participant, a guest of honor.



This "handsome" diablo greeted me in the parking lot. I asked why the devils had babydolls, and he said, "because we're devils" and devils carry away babies. Then he said something fresh, and the girl next to me started laughing. The devils also carried whips.

A couple more pictures are at my flickr stream--click on either photo to go there.

SCHEDULE - GUADALUPAN Events in Durham

Here is your OFFICIAL SCHEDULE for Thursday and Friday activities in Durham:

THURSDAY 12/11
6:30-11 pm: Matachine dancers will be dancing at "La Maldita Vecindad," address Savone Court, Durham 27703, which is a right turn off Hwy 98, just after the 70/98 split. Outdoors; rain or shine.

THURSDAY Midnight through FRIDAY MORNING 3 am:
Various local groups will be singing songs to the Virgin at the Immaculate Conception church, Chapel Hill St. in Durham. Indoors, sanctuary.

FRIDAY MORNING 12/12
3 am: Mariachis will sing songs for the Virgin and the official "Las Mañanitas" to greet her arrival. Indoors, sanctuary.
4 am: Mass. Indoors, sanctuary.
5 am: Breakfast of tamales and hot chocolate. Outside, church parking lot. There will be matachine dancers.

FRIDAY EVENING 12/12
5:30 pm: Procession. Outdoors, staging area in church parking lot. The procession will go through the surrounding neighborhood (probably kicking off in earnest around 6 pm). Expect traffic in the area to be blocked off!
7:00 pm: Mass. Indoors, sanctuary. This will probably be followed with some dancing outside around 8.

Traigan sus flores!

UPDATED 12/11, 5:30pm:

Here is your OFFICIAL SCHEDULE for Thursday and Friday activities in Durham:

THURSDAY 12/11
6:30-11 pm: Matachine dancers will be dancing at "La Maldita Vecindad," address Savone Court, Durham 27703, which is a right turn off Hwy 98, just after the 70/98 split. Outdoors; rain or shine.

THURSDAY Midnight through FRIDAY MORNING 3 am:
Various local groups will be singing songs to the Virgin at the Immaculate Conception church, Chapel Hill St. in Durham. Indoors, sanctuary.

FRIDAY MORNING 12/12
3 am: Mariachis will sing songs for the Virgin and the official "Las Mañanitas" to greet her arrival. Indoors, sanctuary.
4 am: Mass. Indoors, sanctuary.
5 am: Breakfast of tamales and hot chocolate. Outside, church parking lot. There will be matachine dancers.


FRIDAY EVENING 12/12
5:30 pm: Procession. Outdoors, staging area in church parking lot. The procession will go through the surrounding neighborhood (probably kicking off in earnest around 6 pm). Expect traffic in the area to be blocked off!
7:00 pm: Mass. Indoors, sanctuary. This will probably be followed with some dancing outside around 8.

I have this info on good authority from youth organizer Ivan who has been working on these events at the Immaculate Conception Church for years.

This is the first year that the sanctuary will be open from midnight on, rather than just starting at 3 am when the mariachis arrive. He says anyone who wants to witness the dancing and celebrations is welcome, although for media/press they like to have advance notice. So, feel welcome! This is a once-a-year event and worth checking out.


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Ok, here's your scoop for celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day in Durham, which is THIS FRIDAY (12/12).

The thing to remember, however, is that people start celebrating at Midnight Thursday (TONIGHT).



My tipster, Ramona, says that at the Immaculate Conception Church, there will be songs and dances starting at midnight; at 3 am there will be mariachis, singing of Las Mañanitas and other songs for the Virgin, and at 4 am, early morning mass. Following the mass, there will be hot chocolate and tamales. Ramona is a reporter on Radio Kilombo and she issued a general invitation over the show last night, so if you are interested, the public is invited.

A lot of people bring roses to place at the Virgin's shrine, because of her legend. According to the story, she appeared as an indigenous girl to a poor peasant, Juan Diego, on December 12, 1531, and caused roses to bloom on Tepeyac Hill.



On Friday evening, there will be a full procession through the neighborhood. My past experience says 6 pm, but I haven't vetted that information this year. Will update if I hear more. This is a cool thing to see if you can't do the all night mariachi mass.

Backstory: Read about past processions and a recent documentary about them which was filmed in Durham.

Messengers for Dignity

Runners carrying the flame from the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City will be passing through Durham today, on route to New York City. It's a religious pilgrimage designed to put focus on immigrants' rights with the motto: "Messengers for the dignity of one people divided by a border." The run got underway in October, and will end in New York on the Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day, December 12.



Runners will be arriving from High Point to the Immaculate Conception Church on Chapel Hill St in Durham today, Saturday (11/29). One of the organizers at Immaculate Conception told me they will be welcoming the torch at 7 pm. The public is welcome.

Some video about the run and a full schedule of the route is available here, at the Tepeyac Association of New York's website.

Bringing Sacred Power to Durham Neighborhoods

An important new film about life in Durham makes its world premiere at the Latin American Film Festival tonight:

The Virgin comes to La Maldita Vecindad documents Mexican immigrants in Durham who celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe on her feast day, 12/12, as matachine dancers. They participate in outdoor religious processions that wind through an East Durham neighborhood, aka "La Maldita Vecindad," as well the area around the Immaculate Conception Church on Chapel Hill St., where the Antorcha Guadalupana makes an annual stop. The sacred flame is relayed by runners all the way from the basilica in Mexico City to New York as a pilgrimage of faith and a demonstration for immigrants' rights.

(click on photos to see more at my flickr stream)



I love these celebrations; I've been to several of these processions since Guadalupe became such a powerful presence in Durham, including the two torch relays shown in the film. The power they generate is palpable: hundreds of people peaceably taking to the streets, led by a Franciscan monk and ordinary people carrying their images of the Virgin, shutting down traffic with their songs for her, as curious residents come out of their homes to see what's going on. Kids dress up in a tableau of the Virgin and Juan Diego on a flatbed trailer float, youth dancers dress as Aztecs and demons with bells on and dance snake-like circles around the marchers, as if they were forming a spiritual membrane of protection around us.

Last year, in 2007, I didn't intend to go, but absentmindedly drove right into it. I had been preoccupied with a problem of some sort; this seemed like a sign. I pulled the car over and jumped out, just as the torch was approaching me, and as it passed, I fell in step with the crowd following behind and joined in the chorus: ser Guadalupana, ser Guadalupana, ser Guadalupana es algo esencial.



I'm not Catholic, but the Marian rituals and the people power they inspire, me hacen vibrar. I don't really need a doctrinal framework to feel comfortable with that, I just go. Marching through the dark streets of Durham, it's a like a spiritual power surge, a solidarity lightning bolt.

The filmmakers, Elva Bishop, Altha Cravey and Javier Garcia, and community dancers who are in the film, will be present at the screening, which happens tonight (11/11) at 7 pm at the ERC Auditorium at Durham Tech's main campus.