Because Mexico is a Catholic Nation for all intent and purpose it is often thought of as rather conservative other than the occasional brothel or Auto Motel. Last night as we celebrated New Years Eve with our friends and neighbors in the Hood we learned about some more racy traditions and superstitions.

I should disclaim that traditions in Mexico are regional. When you read of some of these rather bizarre traditions/superstitions please keep in mind Anita & I live in what I affectionately call Poor Man’s Shangri- La or the Hood.

If you read here often, maybe this is your first visit with the New Year; you know that I have written much to support those monikers.

First thing are the fireworks. There has to be a lot of this action or it will just seem like another day in the Hood. Fireworks are as common as roosters on a chicken farm. In fact here in Ursulo Galvan the two often work in concert.

I would be surprised if there is another land where as much money is spent per capita on fireworks – I mean China may have invented them, but Mexico keeps them alive. More on this later.

Like last New Years here there was a light off and on again rain that didn’t put a damper on the celebration I assure you.

Early in the evening the streets came alive with odd groups of wildly dressed celebrants. I have some photos that Miguel took of some of these folks – but it will have to follow this Blog as I am reporting to you from the Hood early New Years day where nearly all are refurbishing their bodies with sleep – save your dedicated reporter

Many of the early revelers were cross-dressed in bright exotic Mexican dancer dresses with huge bosoms and booties to match. Ignacio will have to fill me in on why many of the more borracho (drunk) types dawn these outfits? Others have a clothed scarecrow type body tied to their back. They will carry the ‘old man’ till midnight whereupon the rag doll will be burned in effigy – death to the old man!

We walked up to Veronica and Miguels about 9 PM. They were just starting to get it together. Veronica was in her totally Mexican decked out kitchen preparing ensalada (salad) for the dinner party that would begin around 10. Miguel was writing New Years greetings on his laptop to his friends in his motherland Germany.

We all talked for a while and began warming our bodies with alcoholic fluids.

The four of us walked to Veronica’s parents house. Many partygoers were already there; apparently we were fashionably late.

Soon we all sat down at a long table where Adrian, Veronica’s father, started things off with an elegant prayer that included hopefulness for a good 2007. We ate and drank to our hearts and more than to our stomachs content. These people know how to put on a spread and many partygoers are there to seriously eat.

As time passed, fireworks dotted the skies and powerful blasts intermittently overpowered party conversation. The occasional band of cross dressing borracho’s stormed through the rooms of the house shaking noisy cans of coins. They moved about wildly dancing and shaking both kinds of cans demanding a coin to be dropped in as payment – to go away I think; once satisfied they returned to the streets to molest (in the nicest of ways) others.

As the New Year approached the television came on bringing in the Mexican equivalent to Dick Clark who would apprise us all of the mere moments to and then count down for 2007. The television’s chatter was combined with loud music – the CD read “Mexican Tropical Musica”. Small children were being awakened to share the moment and later to flail away at a huge piñata that Veronica’s lovely younger sisters had assembled in the final moments; stuffing this colorful satellite looking party favor with candies and small toys.

At this point it was pretty chaotic. One of Veronica’s brothers was keeping our tequila glasses full rather unsteadily while Miguel was preparing champagne for the toast. There were happy people everywhere throughout the house, out on the porticos and in the streets – you have to believe this Hood if nothing else knows how to party. You could feel the excitement of the countdown, the energy leading to the climatic moment.

It was over in a second. 2006 was history. 2007 began with so many hugs that my chest hurt; especially since nearly all my huggers head’s came to my solar plexus or lower save that of Anita and Miguel. I stooped a lot to enjoy a hug with more simpatico.

All still the hugs were genuine and good. These weren’t those cautious momentary embraces – no this was the real thing. People you didn’t even know passed energy to whomever they embraced during those first minutes of 2007; it was a good thing.

I quickly found my wife; we embraced and shared a private moment surrounded by throngs of fiesta fellowshippers. I am pretty sure no one was having a better time than our group right then.

…More tequila, champagne and embraces. I stood outside to catch my breath and feel the cooling mist of chipi chipi. The street was cluttered with people including the beginnings of a fireworks El Toro. Along the entire panorama the air was filled with smoke and colorful explosions from rockets launched high in the sky. The area was lit up like mid day rather than midnight – Poor Man’s Shangri-la was all about lights and action.

An hour later Anita and I thanked our hosts, more hugs and well wishing as we gathered our umbrellas and Anita’s bag of party favors and headed down the street to stop in at a few other locations. I think we had been invited to no less than five parties.

Shortly into our walk we encounter an area in the street filled with people. In the distance was the bull discharging rockets in all directions and heading our way. We found ourselves in the middle of the road where many a discharged rocket lay like so much trash. There were some hombres with no shirts running in and out of the street tossing lighted firecrackers and gun powdered charges of flashing lights that whirled uncontrollably around us.

In the middle of the road was a large metal tube about 6-8 inches in diameter standing skyward about 3 feet tall. An odd thing to encounter in the middle of Esther and Jim’s calle. We passed it by just four or five feet when we heard this WHOOOOOSH! Turning we realized we were at ground zero of a large rocket launching.

I looked skyward. In seconds we were standing directly underneath a huge firework display – two blossoms of multi colored lights spread over us like the unfurling of a spinnaker on a huge sailboat. It was a stunning moment. The concussion of the explosion raced through our chests down to wobble our legs as we stared skyward.

Colored gun powder spent, our area was now being pelted with debris from the exploded rocket. Fortunately our umbrellas protected us – it had been a breathtakingly spectacular few moments.

We walked on. I remarked to Anita that I had never seen a huge firework like that at such close range – I mean where would you experience the likes of that?

Now there was new danger as El Toro was making its way down the road charging towards us at pretty much breakneck speed. Again we were in luck as Esther and Jim’s street it wide enough to take cover. We rushed to the side. Before they came up to us some rockets ignited and the procession halted as people scurried for cover.

We hurriedly continued down the road moving beyond harms way.

We stopped, greeted and hugged Alma and then Claudia finally arriving at the end of the street near Eloy’s and Esther & Jim’s front doors. It was well past one now. I had enough tequila to embrace the thought of one last evenings encounter. Both fronts were closed and quiet – quite different from the surrounding action.

Esther and Jim will be happy to know that I chose to wake Eloy’s family. They were great sports turning on lights and opening their casa to the celebrating invaders – Anita and I.

More hugs and tequila until blurry eyes clued me to head home.

Oh and I started all this description about the many traditions and superstitions we newly learned about during all this frivolity. Since I am already at about double my longer Blog entries here is a short list.

Wear or give red underwear to bring love in the New Year, wear yellow for financial success. Veronica arrived at her parent’s house with a fancy pair of red panties to bestow on her younger sisters who are still available and looking for love. Later Ale added to the story of this tradition by explaining that the wearing of white underwear is symbolic of the hope for peace and blue for something else – it seems they had all the major colors covered with some equivalent hope save black, which in point of fact is the absence of color.

Right in the middle of all the action, Veronica’s mother started sweeping the living room floor? Clean your house on New Year’s Eve, and be sure to throw out little-used objects and clothing is yet another tradition.

Make a list of all the bad things that happened in the previous year, then burn it. Or burn a cloth dummy in effigy to rid yourself of the old man.

Toss a glassful of water out the window to banish sorrow and tears.

Veronica carried an actual suitcase to the party as we left her house. I wondered why she would be staying the night at her parent’s house only blocks from her own? If you want to travel in the upcoming year, pack a suitcase and go for a walk around the block just after midnight. Eli, Raquel and Veronica all cruised the neighborhood with their suitcases in tow just after midnight – really!

Another, at each stroke of midnight, eat one grape while making a wish at the same time. Eloy and Ale both had some seeds in their wallets to insure money would come to them in the New Year. Also Eloy had 500 pesos in a boot that I guess was to multiply?

There were still more traditions going on that will force me to continue to attend this annual event to more fully understand. Stay Tuned and HAPPY NEW YEAR!