An Early Corpus Christi in Tzurumutaro, Michoacan---The Preparations

The first indication that preparations for a fiesta were underway in Tzurumutaro was the sight of bougainvilla-filled fishing nets stretched above the entrance to the church. What have we here?

Next we spied altars being constructed on all four corners of the plaza. Stop the pick-up.

As our eyes adjusted to the dimness of the church, impressive displays of flowers, virgins and christos came into focus. Inside was a flurry of activity. It seemed that half the village was quietly working away adorning tree branches with mangos, bananas, individual grapes, hard candies, communion wafers and marshmallows.

"Senora, what is this fiesta?", we asked. And that is when the confusion began. She explained that it was Corpus, meaning the Fiesta of Corpus Christi. Today is Sunday, May 4. It couldn't possibly be Corpus.

"But Corpus is always on a Thursday", Rick countered. And this year it's on May 22. But the senora firmly restated that today was Corpus and continued making her tree of confectionary offerings. Unconvinced, we asked everyone in the church the same question and received the same answer. Clearly in Tzurumutaro, Jueves de Corpus Christi, Thursday of the Body of Christ, is celebrated on a Sunday...of Tzurumutaro's choosing.

In the next hour, the church filled to near capacity with more villagers, sweet-filled trees branches, and a row of religious statues aligned for the procession commencing at five. Now we had to stay to see the events, and to possibly convince "Tzuru" that today was not Jueves de Corpus Christi.

As five o'clock aproached, religious statues filled the center aisle now reaching all the way to the entrance of the church. The band tuned their instruments. Costumed villagers gathered. And the padre performed mass.

We stepped outside in anticipation of the procession to follow, and that's when I saw them. On each side of the entrance were harvested trees entwined with elaborate branches of carved cantera stone as old as this very old church. Who were we to argue that today was not Thursday? That today was not Corpus?

PostScript: Tzurumutaro (map) is located between Patzcuaro and Morelia at the intersection of Highway 14 (leading to Morelia) and Highway 120 (leading to Tzintzuntzan and Quiroga). Located on Patzcuaro's eastern edge, most consider Tzurumutaro to be a suburb.

Parting thought...Mexican folk art is a fiesta.

PHOTOS BY DEB HALL.