Guest post by "I Love San Miguel" Hal Schade

 

Texan Hal Schade has visited San Miguel several times, but its colors, festivals and street life never fail to captivate him.  In my romance and travel memoir, Flirting in Spanish, I wrote about watching the Festival de San Miguel from the balcony of one of the town´s stucco houses.  Hal stayed on Calle Sollano for nine weeks, exiting the country at the beginning of this month with a promise to come back.  During his last week in San Miguel, the festival of San Miguel Arcangél took place. He told me personally, Nothing beats Mexican chocolate, and Nothing beats a Mexican fiesta.  Here are his thoughts in text, and his photos.

I had some photos from what turned out to be the final "event" of the celebrations of Arcangel San Miguel...it was much like the others, yet very moving...

...a figure of San Miguel was brought into the Jardin directly in front of La Parroquia...his cape was then pulled out behind, and everyone passed under the cape touching the fabric as they went through...

...you can't see it, but the mantón this woman is wearing is soaked with tears from the experience...she told me I should go through, so I did...

...of course, there were all the dancers...here are a couple of diablos "before and after" the passing...and a lady burning incense at the door of La Parroquia...
...the mix of rituals for the whole celebration period was amazing...pagan, pre-Hispanic, Christian...but they all blend into one very memorable experience...