- Traditions and main customs of Baja California Sur
- 1- Gastronomy
- 2- Traditional costume
- 3- Festival of pitahayas
- 4- Crafts with torote, palm leaves and shells
- 5- Tlacuachadas
- 6- The tupe
- 7- The squash
- 8- Carnival of San Felipe
- 9- Days of the Patron Saints
- 10- Feast of San Francisco Javier
- References
One of the most notorious traditions and customs of Baja California Sur is the pitahaya festival. The pitahaya is the traditional female costume of the area, which consists of a white and red blouse, and a red skirt with an embroidered cactus. During this festival, dozens of women wearing pitahayas compete for the title of "the queen of the festival."
Other traditions of this Mexican state are the dishes. Among these, the clam and the imperial fillet stand out, which are made with marine products (clams and shrimp, respectively). Other typical dishes are the machaca and the chimichango.
On the other hand, the region is recognized for its tlacuachas, which are horse races that are held to accompany other celebrations (patron saint festivals, festivals, among others).
In San Felipe, Baja California Sur, one of the most important carnivals in the state is celebrated. These carnivals are famous for their parade of floats that go through the entire city.
Other customs of Baja California Sur are the creation of handicrafts with torote, dances such as tupe and pumpkin, and the days of the patron saints.
Traditions and main customs of Baja California Sur
1- Gastronomy
Baja California Sur is a coastal state. For this reason, gastronomy is characterized by the presence of marine products. Similarly, the ranches arranged in the central areas of the state provide cattle meat, which is of vital importance for the gastronomy of Baja California.
The traditional dishes of the region are:
- Clam. This dish is prepared by cooking the clams on hot coals. Once cooked, they are eaten with hot sauce, coriander, lemon juice, and salt.
- Spotted rooster. It is a beef stew with rice, potatoes and other vegetables.
- Crush. This dish is made by salting the meat and drying it. Subsequently, it is rehydrated (letting it rest in water) and roasted over hot coals. Then it is put back in water to remove excess salt. Finally, the fillet is pressed and fried.
The machaca is served with onion sauce, tomato, oregano and hot chilies. It is served with corn tortillas and beans.
- Imperial steak. This dish is made with grilled shrimp and bacon.
The most famous sweet in Baja California Sur is the chimichango. This is a sweet wheat flour pancake, fried and served with honey or any other syrup.
2- Traditional costume
The typical female costume of Baja California Sur is the pitahaya. This consists of two pieces: - A red skirt with a cactus with three flowers (one in the center and one on each side). This is embroidered in green, pink and yellow thread.
- A V-neck blouse. This blouse is white and red. In addition, it has embroidered ornaments in green.
On the other hand, the traditional male costume is made of leather. It consists of a vest that is tied with four straps, a hat and handmade shoes (with spurs).
3- Festival of pitahayas
The pitahaya festival is a contest in which you compete to discover who makes the best traditional costume in Baja California Sur. This competition takes place in Miraflores.
It takes place in the month of July. It should be noted that the start date depends on the life cycle of the cactus: when the fruit of this plant has matured, the pitahaya festival will be inaugurated.
This festival lasts for three days, during which dances are held, gastronomic fairs are organized and the pitahaya parade takes place. At the end of the festival, the queen (who will be the one with the best costume) is crowned.
4- Crafts with torote, palm leaves and shells
Torote crafts are a traditional element of Baja California Sur. With this vegetable fiber, pieces of basketry are made (baskets, vases, containers and baskets).
With the torote and with the palm leaves, various objects are made: wallets, bags, hats, caps, among others.
Finally, seashells are used as ornamental elements in boxes, jewelry boxes, vessels, among others. Also, jewelery articles are made by polishing these shells.
5- Tlacuachadas
The tlacuachadas are horse races. These constitute an important tradition in the state of Baja California Sur.
In general, these races are accompanied by typical music of the area (mainly rancheras songs). These are performed by local musical groups.
6- The tupe
The tupe is a typical dance from San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur. This dance recreates a courtship scene between a man and a woman.
He takes the steps of European polka and mixes it with Creole elements, giving rise to a unique and lively dance.
7- The squash
"Los Calaceados" is a traditional dance from Baja California Sur. It is a dance in which dozens of couples test their resistance.
Couples dance nonstop until tired, at which point they withdraw and lose the competition. The couple that keeps dancing until the end wins.
8- Carnival of San Felipe
The carnival of San Felipe is celebrated the four days before Ash Wednesday. During these festivals, parades and groups are held with people dressed in elaborate costumes, typical dances of the region are performed, and sports and cultural activities are carried out. Likewise, amusement parks are installed
The San Felipe carnivals are famous for their floats. These are artistic papier-mâché constructions that are transported on carts. The float parade runs through the city of San Felipe for three days.
9- Days of the Patron Saints
In the cities of Baja California Sur, parties are held during the day of the patron saint. Although celebrations vary from town to town, there are common elements such as amusement parks, fireworks, food fairs, horse races, and folk dance competitions.
10- Feast of San Francisco Javier
The feast of San Francisco Javier is celebrated on December 1 and 2 of each year.
References
- History and culture in Baja California Sur. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from lonelyplanet.com.
- Baja California. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from history.com.
- Baja California. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from nationsencyclopedia.com.
- Traditional foods of Baja California, Norte & Sur. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from backyardnature.net.
- Baja California Sur. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from wikipedia.org.
- Baja California Sur. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from history.com.
- Traditions survive in Baja California. Retrieved on August 31, 2017, from wilderutopia.com.