Friday, December 12, 2014

Tonantzin..to Virgin?

If your world was suddenly turned upside down, say there were some strong and powerful people who conquered your culture and made you start to follow their rituals...then you might find that you would continue the traditions of your old culture in secret, and try to blend them into the newer rituals that were required.

After a while, the old ways would have died with the old peoples...a thing that used to happen more frequently, but now that we elders live longer, the memories are there longer.

Here's a great link to the tale of Tonantzin, who became absorbed into the Virgin of Guadalupe.

It was 1531 when Spaniards told indigenous people who lived in Mexico that they must become part of the new culture.

But today there are still Mexicans of indigenous descent who know Tonantzin's story.
b2ap3_thumbnail_aztec-dance-conclusion-5077387.jpg

Last year I also posted on Dec 12 about Tonantzin.  If you want more information look HERE>

Look into the cultures of your own heritage...does your family continue a tradition that was handed down in the family, rather than according to the media?  Perhaps favorite holiday foods...decorations, or opening presents on Hanukkah or Christmas Eve?

 I really miss having Christmas morning peeks at presents, though I've moved away from many of the rituals of celebrating Christmas itself.

Have Christmas cards become unimportant with daily instant contact through the internet and via cell phones.  But that's because "snail mail" represents just certain kinds of paper in the mail box now, which seldom includes chatty letters.  Did you ever wait eagerly to hear from someone, so whenever that mailman came there was such anticipation?

 I'm sharing this on Sepia Saturday this week, not at all on theme!  Sorry about that!  Maybe next week.

10 comments:

  1. With my husband having worked for the U.S. Forest Service for long years, we moved around a bit & met a lot of different people - many of whom we still keep in touch with through annual Christmas cards which means we send out a lot of cards - somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 of them! A lot of work and a bit of expense, but it's worth it!

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  2. I have continued sending a few Christmas cards, but this may be the last year I do so.

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  3. I enjoyed that diversion from the topic of Sepia Saturday and learning something new.

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  4. My wife and I keep up the Christmas card tradition - so much better than a round robin letter that you know has gone to everyone.

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  5. Yes, it is sad that letters are no longer sent. Emails are deleted. There will be a lack of information and history in future!

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  6. Such a colourful pair of images - well worth going off theme for.

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  7. I've almost given up on Christmas cards and moved to phone calls. I just find it frustrating to get a card with no news...I'd even rather a one-size-fits-all newsletter. And yea, when my boyfriend, now husband, lived away for 12 months early in our friendship, I longed for his letter...then it took until the next one to decipher his writing;)

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  8. I don't remember when my busy life intruded upon the Christmas Card tradition, but it was when I was divorced, raising 2 sons, working full time, shopping for Santa, and just couldn't keep up. I do remember how great full messages were, or even finding out about a person's whole year when we hadn't stayed in touch. Phone calls are great, as well as emails...if there is interest on both sides!

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  9. It’s nice to see some colour in our sepia world, and that’s an interesting header you have too.

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There is today, more than ever, the need for a compassionate regenerative world civilization.