Danza de la Pluma

The Virgen de Guadalupe is the patron saint of all Mexico, and today is her day. The Danza de la Pluma (Dance of the Feather) basically tells the story of the conquest and years that followed, but it is quite complex, and I probably understand 5%! I attended a lecture about the dance on Wed., so today when I traveled to Teotitlán del Valle to witness their interpretation, I had some idea of what was going on.
The dancers make a 3-year commitment, and they perform the dance numerous times. Two children are involved (6 year old girls when they start) because they represent particular characters in the story. The dance goes on for 9 hours (more or less, and some versions last for days), obviously with breaks!
All the costumes are handmade, and the family who makes the head dresses closely guards its secrets!
This particular village is famous for its hand woven rugs, and the leggings are made in the same way as the wool rugs.
All of these festivals and celebrations are fascinating to watch and/or participate in (people are very welcoming) and one of the beauties is that they are not performances for tourists. This is their life.
More photos are here
A calenda (type of parade) wound through the streets of Oaxaca to the Church of Guadalupe. A lively carnival with all the rides, games, and food filled the park that faces the church. At about 11 p.m. fireworks boomed and blasted colors into the sky, and people cheered over a giant castillo (tower of fireworks).
Photos of castillos are here