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San Miguel was once described as having an excess of festivities. Celebrations abound, yet after centuries they have lost nothing of their depth or meaning and are deeply rooted in the fabric of this place and in the hearts of these people. Mexico’s tumultuous history is multi-layered, a mix of many different indigenous peoples and those that came after the conquest. The region around San Miguel was never conquered; it was absorbed in the aftermath of the conquest. Because of this, San Miguel exists in both worlds - that of before the conquest and that of after. The indigenous roots of this place live on, some parts as yet undiluted by the passage of time; the Spanish who arrived after the conquest live on in the mixed blood of their descendents; and this has been a crossroads for centuries. The harmony between these worlds is in no way more evident than in the celebrations.
El Señor de la Conquista - This is an indigenous celebration that, when it could not be quelled by the Catholic church, was embraced into the hybrid faith that exists in San Miguel. In honor of Christ of the Conquest, dancers come from surrounding communities to dance in front of the Parroquia. These dancers - concheros - wear traditional clothing and dance tirelessly all day in early March in this blended ceremony that commemorates Jesus, Mary and oppression by the Spanish as both the conquerors and the conquered.
Dia de los Muertos - During the last week of October altars are prepared in homes and businesses to honor those who have passed on. With love and remembrance, colorful with decorations and flowers, these altars tell the stories of their lives by the photos and objects placed there - sugar figures to represent foods, pets, flowers, sports, anything the departed loved - and the stories shared within families assure that the new generation will know those who came before. On November 1st and 2nd families move to picnics at the cemetery, surrounded by music from mariachis. Celebrations conclude with face painting and outrageous clothing as Catrinas stroll through the Jardin representing death and the soulful way in which Mexicans face it.
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San Miguel de Allende: the soul of mexico is available from your favorite bookstores including Aurora Books and La Biblioteca Tesoros in San Miguel, or from many of your favorite internet sites including Schiffer, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel and Thrift Books. If you would like an autographed copy of our new book, please send us an email request and you can buy it directly from us at steven@houseandhouse.com.
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Cathi and Steven House, the founders and principals of House + House Architects, have received over 50 design awards for their work in California, Mexico, Africa and the Caribbean, and have been featured in prestigious publications throughout the world including two monographs, House + House Architects: Choreographing Space and Houses in the Sun: light movement embrace. Their studies of vernacular architecture have been published in Mediterranean Villages: an architectural journey, and in Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time, which document the people, villages and unique architecture. Cathi and Steven lecture extensively and created CASA, The Center for Architecture, Sustainability + Art, a study abroad program based in Mexico.
House + House Architects' work reflects Cathi and Steven's passion for soulfully designed buildings intimately responsive to their site and to their inhabitants.
www.houseandhouse.com
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