The November Novena, the Ajijic Fiestas of San Andres is the most anxiously awaited time of the year in our pueblo. For local families the nine days from November 20-29th, honoring the Patron Saint of the village are the most exciting, most fun and most devout of the entire year.
Every town, barrio and church in Mexico has a patron saint for which it is named. When the Spanish missionaries reached Lake Chapala in the 1530's, they named each of the lakeshore villages for a saint associated with lakes, fishermen and boats. St. Andrew, the brother of Peter who was a fisherman was selected to be the special Patron of Ajijic.
The missionaries layered biblical stories and Christian concepts onto existing pre-Hispanic holidays, and celebrations to encourage the peaceful acceptance of the new ideas by the indigenous peoples. Most rural indigenous communities celebrated spring and fall festivals and the solstices. The priests augmented this schedule of celebrations by selecting Patrons to coincide with the existing seasonal celebrations, marking the fall harvest season with the November 29 feast day of San Andres.
Celebrations to honor patron saints are Novenas of preparation. While other novenas are focused on mourning, contemplation or prayer, the nine days of masses for Saint Andrew are a devotion of gratitude and thanks for the blessings, successes and favors of the previous year and a preparation for a petition for continued support in the coming year.
The novena, nine days of public worship, processions and masses are the core of the Fiestas of Ajijic. To the initiated and newcomers, the role of the church in the Fiestas is not immediately apparent. With understanding comes the realization that the three and four daily church services are the centerpiece of the Fiesta even though the plaza is full of more visible gaudy carnival rides, transient market stalls and terrazas serving beverages and snacks.
The 2002 Novena for San Andres includes many of the same elements chosen to honor the earth, the area and God by the Aztecs and other pre-Columbian religions.
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Pre-Columbian |
2002 Fiesta de San Andres |
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Dedication/Sacrifice/Offerings |
Heavy donations of harvest fruits, human sacrifice, giving of time |
Saving all year for family extras at Fiesta, Time, Sleep, Prayer, Devotion, Participation |
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Processions/Pilgrimages |
Gathering in groups was forbidden except during church events or holy days |
Pilgrims gather before dawn and at twilight to walk with torches to the church for mass |
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Dancing and Music |
Dancing was not allowed by the Spanish except during religious events. Music was only permitted in the churches and during church festivities |
Traditional indigenous groups of dancers still always lead the evening processions to the church. Both daily pilgrimages are accompanied by bands. Serenadas, music for dancing fill the evenings in the plaza. |
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Noise making |
The Aztecs believed that they could clear evil form an area with sudden, unexpected noise. The original residents of Mexico warmly received the arrival of gun powder to create even more noise to eliminate evil. |
Cojetes-the skyrockets are shot into the sky in the pre-dawn hours to wake the day's participants, and are used to punctuate the route of the processions. Volleys of Cojetes are also fired from the church at noon and just after the night's grand finale, the Castillo, a display of brilliantly colored spinning wheels on a bamboo tower. |
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Competition |
The games and activities were planned to strengthen and to show who could offer their best to God. |
The sponsoring unions, groups and guilds exert great effort to demonstrate to the village their great support and devotion |
Special events within the fiesta include local musical groups playing at the altar of San Andrew on November 22 to honor the feast day of Santa Cecelia, Patron Saint of Musicians.
Ajijic's foreign residents help sponsor the November 26th activities. All Lake Chapala foreign residents are urged to meet at 6:15 pm at Six Corners on November 26 for the evening procession to Ajijic's plaza. Other years only a handful from the foreign community has participated in the procession and fiesta, but it is hoped that a crowd will turn out to demonstrate solidarity to our Ajijic neighbors and hosts.
