I knew that today was going to be special but I did not know exactly how. It is Good Friday and here in Mexico that is usually a day filled with pageantry and religious rites, as it is in the United States. There are cities famous for their Easter processions, Oaxaca being one of them, but Coatepec is not known for colorful celebrations. Since this is my first year living in this small colonial town I suspected, however, that I would see something but I just did not know what it would be. Rather than asking friends what to expect I decided to keep my eyes and ears open and have the fun of discovery.

As it turns out the surprise came to me. I was getting ready to head to my shop in the center of town when I heard my dogs barking downstairs. I looked out the upstairs window and was surprised, at first, to see a procession of about 60 people walking though our cul de sac. This in itself is an unusual occurrence! Then I heard that they were singing and it dawned on me that this was an Easter procession so I watched more closely.

What I saw was charming and very different than what I had imagined I would see today. Religion does not have the force it once had in Mexico and many times processions such as this one are made up of old women carrying on a dying tradition. Men seldom take part. But today the configuration was very different. There were boys, girls, men and women all together. It turns out that one of the Stations of the Cross had been set up on our block. A neighbor was greeting the crowd. A simple altar adorned with flowers was set up in front of her house and it was here that the procession stopped gathering around the large wooden cross being carried by two youths. As the song ended the priest began to talk to the crowd. He was blessing the houses on our street and those who lived in them, although it was evident that many owners were away on vacation.
Nevertheless he continued to speak to the group who listened attentively. This was not an indigenous group, these were my neighbors, mostly middle class, who were dressed in casual clothes; men in jeans and T shirts, women in simple skirts and blouses.
I began to reflect on the fact that in Mexico the emphasis on new Easter clothes is not part of any celebration. People are not wealthy and cannot afford many of the things that we take for granted in the States. Brand names have no real meaning here nor does it matter if everything matches. What is important for the most part is how one relates to family and friends. I was seeing this reflected in the procession in front of the house. The priest was concerned that houses were empty, the group was united by a religious procession and was obviously enjoying the chance to mingle with friends and sing and celebrate an important festival. Children were allowed to run around and play tag. This was a very humble celebration with people who were living their beliefs. It gave me pause, once again, to reflect on how life can be lived happily on a smaller scale, without such an emphasis on the acquisition of things.
So, without being aware of it, this priest and his loyal group delivered a very important Easter message to this foreigner living in their midst.