WEDDINGS IN MEXICO

Watching fireworks in celebrations has always been a beautiful experience, especially if they do not harm or frighten anybody. But, when they are used at midnight, for apparently no reason, insomnia and fear appear, finishing with the peace you get when you are sleeping. This unexpected experience makes your body shiver and feel anxiety; especially because you never imagine that, at the same time, that you listen to them,  a group of happy people can interrupt your deepest dream, and begin marching along your street  with loud music, carrying presents and brooms  while they go dancing and sweeping the street.

This could be seen as a funny, invented story by a novelist who probably dreams that someday some volunteers will come and clean his neighborhood but this is not the case. This is something real that happened to me recently when I listened to many people laughing and shouting at midnight, while some fireworks illuminanted the dark streets and made noise while they exploded.

After waking up all scared, I recovered my peace almost immediately,  when I remembered what  all that scandal was about: My pretty neighbor would get married the next day and that night her fiance was going to her house, to bring some dinner for her and for her family, as a form of showing them how much he cared for her. To do so, he had to sweep all his way so that the next day she could walk in her white, long gown without dirting her shoes and without any impedement to walk on little stones, which could stop her pace to church.

After sweeping the street (which means sweeping all the possible future problems away, to begin a transparent relationship),  they all would be received by the fianceé´s family with some delicious traditional, Mexican dinner and later on, they all would dance with live music. I peeked outside the window to see how they looked like, and a very nice spectacle came to my eyes: 2 or 3 people, wearing masks, were picking up some stones and posible scattered garbage and put them into some bags, and swept their way to my neighbor´s house. Other people, with masks too, were pouring tequila into some “caballitos” (tequila glasses) to the rest of the walkers, to avoid  cold, and some others carried some presents for the girl: a stove, a refrigerator, a bed, many white flowers and some baskets full of delicious, fresh fruit and bread.

This time there were only  10 or 12 people sweeping the street: the fiancé´s closest relatives, because it is not allowed to have big parties. But, when there is no pandemic, the streets are crowded and the party is a lot much bigger than this one. In that moment, I imagined that in the fiancèes´s home there would probably be 5 or 10 people too, and they  all would receive these people, to celebrate the engagement.

Emotioned and hopeful, I sat on my bed and could admire the fireworks, and I could also listen to the laughter and happiness that passed right in front of my window. Of course, a great emotion filled my heart because that made me remember that we, the human beings,  can enjoy and be happy in many situations and  this time, despite the confinement situation and the virus around, many people still continued being hopeful of a better future and a nicer life.

This couple had decided to join their lives forever and their dreams were probably to spend their time together while the pandemic was over. Their closest relatives were accompanying them and celebrating too, in a really happy environment.  I could also feel the boy´s happiness  and his fianceé´s emotion of being waiting for him at home, knowing that everything he was doing was to please her and to make her feel important and happy.

Undoubtedly, this is something that the pandemic will never finish with: while there are humans, love and hope will continue being felt; despite the  many problems that arise with it, such as  death, economy abuse of bankers, greedy politicians who don´t care about exposing their followers´ lives, lying governments that misinform their citizens about the pandemic or about the vaccine´s route, etc.

Something true is that Mexico is full of traditions and; although it has different economies in every corner, different customs and there are a lot of educative differences and opportunities, there is something in common among the 120,000,000 people: we all want to continue living; and love and hope continue moving us, waiting for the best. Then, if fireworks, music and people sweeping my street  wake me up again at midnight, to feel others´happiness and hope, I will always welcome them.

*Rosalía Nalleli Pérez-Estrada. Directora de Universidad Santander, Campus Tlaxcala. Profesora por asignatura, de la Universidad Politécnica de Tlaxcala y en coordinación del Departamento de idiomas de la misma universidad. Investigadora invitada por CIFE y Fundadora de la Sociedad Anónima Madison School Come to be the Best, desde 1999. Rosalia_na@hotmail.com