Beginning of Easter Season

I bet you think the "Easter Season" starts with Palm Sunday and ends on Easter - it used to for me. BUT, not in Mexico..........it began here on Thursday night when the conchero dancers arrived with their shells around their ankles, their drums and spears in hand and their most fabulous headdresses. I LOVE this time of year!
While going through my photo boxes last week, half of one box is Indian ceremonies. I LOVE the indigenous dress and ceremonies of Mexico........I confess these two photos were taken last year because I said "Self, no more!" BUT I have to confess I took a few photos yesterday and will share them next week. There were many more Aztec dance groups this year and their costumes were spectacular. If I only knew where they got those feathers, I think I would make a trip to that village. They are breathtaking. The dancing, as I said, started Thursday evening and restarted, I presume at 6:45 AM yesterday when the booms of fireworks knocked us all out of bed (just kidding, but it DOES wake you up). I could hear the drums up here at my house even though I'm a 10 minute walk! The drum beats made me hurriedly dress and head to see and hear all the Indians. I was NOT disappointed.
I often wonder how they possibly find time for all of the practice for these ceremonies. I have a female friend who is an Aztec dancer. They practice three times a week for several hours each time. She works at a bank nine hours a day and is a massage therapist for several hours each evening - six days a week. But her dedication to the dance of the Aztecs is very very important to her. She tells me they MUST preserve their heritage! Thankfully............

Isn't this headdress beautiful? Often the back of their headdresses will have a painting of something, the Virgen or a special ancestor or whatever. Click on this photo for an enlarged view of this magnificent headdress.

The drums went on til late last evening............and then the church bells started. Magnifico - drums and church bells! So Mexico..............