We're not in Kansas anymore!: A Traditional American Passtime in Mexico and a VERY Mexican Tradition

So there's a new baseball team in Guadalajara! The Charros started playing here in the fall in and old stadium that was used for the Pan-Am games a few years ago. We rented a van and went to one of the games a few weeks ago! What fun!

The Charro team is comprised of players who can't make it in the MLB, would like to make it in the MLB and a few MLB players who are honing their skills in the winter. The stadium is small and feels very intimate. The refreshment choices are crazy: beer, micheladas or margaritas to drink. To eat you can choose from hot dogs, tacos, corn dogs, pizza or tortas. There's also ice cream and pop corn. In many ways, it was very much like a baseball game NOB, but with some crazy mascots. I especially loved the gorilla who salsa danced in the field. And every time the Charros got one of the players on the opposing team out, the crowd yelled "Si Senor".

Matt and his Tecate girl!

Matt watching the game!

So, for our very Mexican experience. On Christmas Eve we went with Kathleen and Vern to the nearby village of San Antonio to participate in a posada. I'm sure I don't completely understand this tradition, but I know it plays out in the streets of nearly every village each night for the week before Christmas. Groups of children are led by a priest and other adults through the village singing songs and seeking a place at an inn, just as Mary and Joseph did. The priest and few others are dressed as angels, with large feathered wings. While many in the procession were dressed in traditional biblical costumes, we also noticed several devils in the group. Since we didn't recall devils being part of the original Christmas, we asked one of the participants. He said, no, they weren't part of the story depicted in the bible but they were very traditional for Mexican posadas. They respresent the struggle between good and evil. Different families in the village participate by setting up a diorama in the front of their home depicting a Christmas scene, mostly manager scenes. By at each home, the children are turned away.....until the very last home they visit on Christmas eve where they are welcomed. In many of the manger scenes the families use a live baby. This was a very sweet experience and a great way to spend Christmas eve. Each night, at the end of the posada the children are lead to the church where they line up in front of the closed doors of the church. There they sing another song and then the doors to the church are opened, where the pews are already filled with the adults from the village. They stay for mass, and then most go to a family or friends home afterwards for a traditional Mexican meal.

The processing starts to line up, the priest is the one with the wings

Devils, angels and a wise man get organized

A wise man on horseback

The girl with the staff helps keep the children together

The scene at the first house where we stopped

The children participating in the dioramas were frozen and didn't acknowledge the crowd, even these little ones

Three wise men

Finally, the children were welcomed

Ready to enter the church

For Christmas dinner we went to a friend's home and had a wonderful meal. It was a beautiful day, and here's the proof. A picture of the Christmas day sunset over Lake Chapala.

And better late than never...here's some photos from our Thanksgiving dinner at Vickie's and JC's. I felt very blessed that my sister Sue was here for Thanksgiving, and this year she didn't have to cook dinner for me! The holidays were wonderful here, but ready to get back to normal.