I remember as a young girl going to Mass and
dreading the Stations of the Cross because it usually included incense. Incense for some reason made me sick to my stomach and then I would faint. Yes, what a great way to be religious.........but, that was inside of a church.
BUT in San Miguel, as you can see, the Stations of the Cross are cantera and built into the walls outside. Most of the time they are just the nicho, without anything in them, and we all forget that they are there. Not at Easter time though. The older women and their daughters and other family members spend much time with flowers, wheat grass, oranges and all the other symbolism for the Death and Resurrection. Some Stations are more elaborate then others as shown by the first and second stations.
It is truly a treat to walk down the hill and pass these stations on my way to wherever I'm going and admire the artistry and talent of the local people. Many of the statues that are used are family heirlooms and protected and saved all year just for the honor of being used in this way, once a year in public, (although they are used in the family homes for all occasions).
The most magnificent spectacle to me is the way they use the jacaranda blooms, grasses and other flower petals to make a carpet around the stations. The fragrance as you walk and possibly step on a petal or two is as though you are walking on a path in the woods.
A treat for all the senses...............
BUT in San Miguel, as you can see, the Stations of the Cross are cantera and built into the walls outside. Most of the time they are just the nicho, without anything in them, and we all forget that they are there. Not at Easter time though. The older women and their daughters and other family members spend much time with flowers, wheat grass, oranges and all the other symbolism for the Death and Resurrection. Some Stations are more elaborate then others as shown by the first and second stations.
It is truly a treat to walk down the hill and pass these stations on my way to wherever I'm going and admire the artistry and talent of the local people. Many of the statues that are used are family heirlooms and protected and saved all year just for the honor of being used in this way, once a year in public, (although they are used in the family homes for all occasions).
The most magnificent spectacle to me is the way they use the jacaranda blooms, grasses and other flower petals to make a carpet around the stations. The fragrance as you walk and possibly step on a petal or two is as though you are walking on a path in the woods.
A treat for all the senses...............
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