Today is the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. It honors the supposed apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, a poor indigenous peasant, in 1531 at the hill of Tepeyac on the north side of Mexico City. The Basilica of Guadalupe, which stands next to the hill, is the second most visited pilgrimage site of the Catholic Church, second only to the Vatican. In the days leading up to the feast day millions of pilgrims journey to the basilica from all over Mexico and beyond. (It should be noted that for some residents of Mexico City the December influx of pilgrims is viewed as an annoyance with snarled traffic, closed roads, changes in public transportation routes, trash left along the streets, and nights of fireworks being set off.)
Yesterday afternoon, I decided to observe the pilgrims on their way to the Basilica. I took the Metrobus that travels along the Paseo de la Reforma and got off where the boulevard runs into the Calzada de Guadalupe, an avenue which runs over two miles directly to the church. In the center of the "Calzada" is a tree-lined pedestrian strip which is one of the major routes used by pilgrims. As I walked along with the avenue with the pilgrims, I didn't know if taking photographs would be appropriate. I surreptitiously took pictures, snapping photos without appearing to be focusing on anything in particular, and using the zoom lens to capture images of the people in front of me.
At first there were not that many people walking along the "Calzada". I figured that the crowd would increase as evening approached. Many pilgrims want to be at the Basilica's atrium at midnight.
This group of pilgrims on bicycle had traveled one hundred miles from the state of Morelos.
I visited the basilica one year on Feast Day. The site is so large that it managed to handle the crowds, though the modern basilica was packed to the gills.
ReplyDeleteI remember volunteers feeding lentils to the poor, I remember visiting the small Museum of Retablos in the back, I remember the requisite Aztec dancers, and - though I'm not Catholic - I remember a general feeling of peaceful fellowship.
-Scott
From what I understand, the day before is actually more crowded than the Feast Day. Most people want to be there at midnight when everyone sings "Las Mañanitas" to the Virgin.
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