Guadalupe!

Dec. 10 The celebration of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe is a big deal in Mexico. It seems the Virgin appeared to a poor peasant in 1531 four separate times, and the last time left him an image of herself on his cloak, which hangs to this day in the bascilica in Mexico City. She became the matron of children and the poor, and has been honoured by 25 popes over the 477 years since her appearance.



As you have seen in previous pics, the children of Puerto Morelos go door to door with a decorated palm branch and collect money to help children in this community, and during our time at the bookstore in town on Monday, a car parade went by, and 2 groups of kids stopped at the bookstore window to sing to us and collect a few pesos.


On the street, in our neighbourhood, there were 2 huge displays of silk and paper flowers going through where people could buy their Guadalupe decorations. Later in town we heard that there had been a procession of people with these flowers who went out in a boat caravan to spread flowers on the water in honour of the Virgin.