Banda Sarao, La Grande de Valle

In the Candelaria Day, people bring their candles so they can get baptized by the priest, then used when someone’s in need or sick. I forgot the main reason why this day was so important, after all, the reason I was listening to one of the funniest priests I’ve ever heard (Please refrain from using your daughters or sons as tamboras or drums, as they are Jesus’ presence on this Earth) was because I was following people around who had Jesus figures on their arms.

Large, small, with wings, dressed, undressed, with almost every eye color variation, dark skinned, white, in a chair or in a basket, Jesus was everywhere. For a moment I thought if I were from some other planet, these kind of activities would be hard to explain: Why are women (and some men) carrying a figure of a small child made out of ceramic, dressing them, taking them to one place and showing some sense of devotion and love to these?

The Candelaria ceremony according to the priest was a metaphore about bringing or becoming light to others through our actions. The priest stressed Mexico had the Jesus figurines tradition aside from the candle baptism. I thought to myself, to those who practice Catholicism, how literal and beautiful carrying around a Jesus image was. Not as a concept or a name but as an action, taking him to the market, to the church, amongst family and other representations of Jesus. It was fascinating to watch.

At the end of mass, Banda Sarao, La Grande de Valle (hence the G) played very loudly.