Contextualization and Guadalupe


December 12 is a huge day in Mexico. It’s the day that millions of pilgrims descend on the Basilica that stands in Tepeyac on the northern part of the City. This Basilica is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Patron Saint of Latin America.

I’ve written a lot about this day in the past, and you can see all of my posts on the Virgin of Guadalupe here.

Recently (last year), I wrote something else about this topic, but I’ve hesitated to publish it. There aren’t a lot of people who will be interested in a 23 page paper about contextualizing the message of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

However, there might be some missionaries or Mexican church leaders out there who should read it, so I’ve decided to publish it here so that you can download it and read it if you’re interested.

Click here to download:
The Virgin of Guadalupe in the Mexican Context

Mango with Chili

I was digging through the kids’ Halloween candy yesterday and realized that if I was going to eat any of it, it would have to be one of the many pieces they got with Chili on it.

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The Economy of the Day of the Dead

The Economy of the Day of the Dead

I just read on Vivir Mexico about the Economics of the Day of the Dead in Mexico (Spanish link). Mexico is a country that spends big money on its parties. The Day of the Dead is no exception.

The Commerce department says that approximately 700 million pesos (Spanish link) will be spent to celebrate all Saints Day, the Day of the Dead, and Halloween.

Here are the businesses that see the most boom in their business:

  • Flower shops and candle stores: 80% more profit
  • Costume shops: 40% more
  • Stationary stores: 50% more sales
  • Museums: 40% more ticket sales
  • Bread shops, candy shops, and makeup stores: 15-35% more sales

(Photo by: DavidDennisphotos.com on flickr.com)

UNESCO video on Day of the Dead

I just saw this video on the Day of the Dead by UNESCO (thanks Jim Cottrill) and thought it would be good to share with you.

I think what he says at the end is very important: “This fusion of pre-hispanic religious rites and catholic feasts brings together two distinct universes and allows cultural syncretism between indigenous thinking and the idealogical system imported by the Europeans in the 16th Century.”

You can find more of my resources on the Day of the Dead at this post from last year.

Another sign that kids are lonely (pic)

I saw this toy in Walmart the other day, and it made me wonder why you would need a truck that comes back on it’s own.

When we play cars, we roll them back and forth to each other, but I guess not everyone plays with someone else. I guess if you have to play by yourself, you want a truck that comes back on it’s own.

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