The opportunity to share our culture, art, traditions and heritage has been an amazing opportunity! We began collaborating with the Marshall County Historical Society when they generously offered us a display window. What a tremendous way of bringing cultures together in Plymouth. It has been wonderful, and we invite you to attend our collaborative events when offered.
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Marshall County Historical Society Museum
Marshall County Historical Society Museum
123 N. Michigan St.
Plymouth, IN 46563
Phone: 574-936-2306
La Voz Unida begins to form a relationship with the great folks at the Marshall County Historical Society & Museum. We invited members of the Hispanic community for an evening of fun and fellowship. We had a great turnout and the children enjoyed the museum saying it is "Cool!". La Voz Unida offered Tamales and Champurrado for all to enjoy.
The display window with a very rich tradition in the Mexican culture of the Nativity for Jesus's birth.
CARNAVAL OF HUEJOTZINGO
We celebrated the incredibly rich traditions of our friends from the great State of Puebla in Mexico with their customary dress.
Carnival of Huejotzingo:
🔴 It is a holiday celebrated in the city of Huejotzingo (Puebla, Mexico), as part of the celebrations that mark the beginning of Lent in the Catholic ritual calendar. It has been celebrated since 1893. This famous Carnival begins the weekend before Ash Wednesday and ends on Tuesday. Thousands of people participate in it and dress up with masks, tunics, neck garments, feather headdresses, shields and rifles to transform the streets of the town into a huge stage and represent on it three episodes that have marked the history of Huejotzingo.
Like a great play that in three acts summarizes, expresses and presents to the viewer the history, culture and identity of a town, revived and embodied by its own habitants. One of these episodes, of great importance for the State and for the entire country, is the Battle of Puebla in 1862, in which the Mexicans defeated the French army.
For its representation, various battalions are formed that will bring the battle of Puebla to life. The invading army is made up of Zuavos (French army soldiers), Turcos (battalion from Sudan) and Zapadores( sappers); while the victorious Mexican army is made up of the Indios Serranos (indians from the mountains of Puebla) and Zacapoaxtlas (people from Zacapoaxtla,Puebla).Both sides will face each other in a tough battle, firing their muskets loaded with gunpowder, which between the smoke and the noise they cause, gives great realism to the scene. However, history has already told how this confrontation will end: the French will have to suffer, like every year, their traditional defeat.
🔴 Zapadores:
In their clothing they fuse the national colors of Mexico and England, they show off an imperial eagle on their hats, which make them look very tall. Furthermore, his clothing is considered one of the ones that has had the least modifications.
Zacapoaxtlas:
The Zacapoaxtlas battalion participated in the battle of Puebla, which fought against the French troops. Their clothing is similar to the Indians of the Sierra Norte of Puebla, except that it is characterized by a hat with strips of tissue paper in national colors, green, white and red.
Indios serranos:
The members of this battalion wear a costume similar to that of the Zacapoaxtlas, instead they wear a Cotón de Jantetelcos ( printed cotton fabric ) with ribbons and colored bows, some with embroidered huaraches (sandals ) and Gazné ( Ascot tie).
Turcos:
The Turks represent the battalion that the Sultan of Egypt sent to Mexico in early 1863 at the request of Napoleon III. The mask of the dancers is characterized by being pink and with a blonde beard. Furthermore, over the years the contingent has been made up of women.
Zuavos:
The Zuavos represent the French army that was defeated by the Mexicans during the Battle of Puebla. They wear a blue jacket, a red nagüilla ( thin fabric) , boots, talines worn on their chest, a turban and a wooden box on their back.
🔴 Mosquetones (musket) are rifles made of hand-carved wood with pre-Hispanic designs, whose peculiarity is gunpowder, an element used by dancers to emulate a battle.
Making a Mosquetón is a labor of love, patience and a lot of creativity, which takes three to six days. Each piece is made with wood extracted from a walnut or ash tree, but at least eight months must pass. so that the material is dry.
The cut must be done on a full moon to avoid cracks. Up to 50 pieces can be designed from one tree. Once the wood is dry, the artisans begin the carving, supported by sandpaper, chisel and hammer in hand. Each carabiner can weigh up to six kilos (13 pounds) .
🔴 Pictures
1-This tradition has a historical significance, since the Huejotzingo dancers represent the soldiers who participated during the battle of May 5, 1862. Photo: Julio César Martínez | The Sun of Puebla
2-All the carnival costumes have endless embroidery and details with beads and shiny stones, each battalion's costume is different. Photo: Julio César Martínez | The Sun of Puebla
3-The cost of the suits ranges between $25,000 and $60,000 pesos ($1,500 and $3,500 dollars).
Photo: Julio Cesar Martínez | The Sun of Puebla
4-Initial parade of battalions in front of the Municipal Palace (Hall)
HERITAGE CRAFTS OF MEXICO
La Voz Unida broadcasted a call to the entire Plymouth community to bring their different artifacts from their state of origin and the community did not disappoint! From all across the country, Mexicans brought us their traditional wares to be proudly displayed.
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