Category Archives: YUCATAN

In Mexico, religious beliefs are very important. Hundreds of years ago, the Mayans worshipped multiple gods, but that changed when the Spanish conquered the region. The Conquistadores were members of the Catholic church and brought that religion with them to teach to—and in some cases force on—the natives as part of the Spanish claiming of…

Continuing the story of Juan Diego: When he opened his cloak to display his find, in addition to the roses, an image of Mary appeared. Now a believer, the archbishop ordered the shrine to be built. This church, the Basilica of Ville Madera, still stands, and still contains Juan Diego’s cloak with the image of…

On Sundays, the Merida area hosts a huge market where locals sell crafts, clothing, housewares, and food. The preparation for the marketplace begins the night before with the vendors setting up for the following day. Streets are blocked off to make the market a safe destination for pedestrians. A wide variety of goods are available,…

While we were at the market, we saw a number of pilgrims who had traveled for the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Some of their vehicles were as lavishly decorated as the town, with signs, streamers, and a lot of bright colors. The Festival had just occurred the day before, so people hadn’t returned…