Page 4 - La Alborada Book by Chris Martin

La Alborada
During our time living in Mexico we visited many beautiful cities, pueblo magicos, churches and cathedrals, jungle and beaches. The most memorable being the migration of the monarch butterflies to the forests of Michoacán where we rode horseback up into the mountains to witness one of nature’s truly spectacular events.
The second-most memorable event (for me) that we were lucky enough to see was the La Alborada celebration
in San Miguel de Allende which I photographed on September 29, 2019.
La Alborada is one of the most important traditions—since colonial times to the present—that celebrate the patron saint San Miguel Arcángel. The San Miguel de Allende people celebrate these patron saints the weekend closest to September 29, so this may vary between September and October.
It´s very interesting and folkloric, differents town areas holds great parties until early hours of the morning, and then join a large parade around two thirty in the morning, in the main square. La Alborada represents the fight of Archangel San Miguel against Lucifer, that is translated in a pyrotechnic spectacle that lasts one hour approximately.
La Alborada begins at 4 in the morning with the ringing bell and the rockets that are offered to the Archangel San Miguel, to obtain their blessings throughout the year.
The next day the party continues, where a traditional show with Voladores de Papantla, burning judas (paper dolls) and many traditional food stalls are presented. There is also a unique parade, between the religious and pagan where the ¨concheros¨show their native dances to offer ¨xuchiles¨ (beautiful offerings).
Source: discoversma.com
La Alborada