Oaxaca-The Year After: Tres Reyes Day

The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Tres Reyes Day - No pony... again.

El Dia de los Tres Reyes, Three Kings Day, is one of the most important days of the holiday season. This is especially true for kids, because today's the day when gifts are given and received. This is the twelfth day of Christmas, also known as Epiphany. I took my normal pilgrimage to nearby Tres Reyes Etla, but my timing must have been off, maybe a little early, because there was a mass, but no kings as far as I could see. However, the trip is always worth it. The weather has been quite dramatic. It is really blowing, cold and there are great clouds scudding across a nice blue sky. Also, there is a full moon. It's wild and I have been driving around just enjoying it and taking some shots. You can see how windy it is with these shots of the papel picado in Tres Reyes... proof I was there.

I stopped in Etla where everyone was selling Rosca de Reyes, King's Cake.

Inside and outside. You can see how cold it is.

It is in the shape of a crown and baked into each of them is a little tiny Christ child and whoever gets that piece is obligated to provide the tamales and a party on Candelaria, Candlemas on Feb. 2.

Now, I don't know if it was my luck or clever sales strategy, but in the free piece I got from this vendor, I got the figure. You can see the knife and the cake there.