Cozumel Sun News December 1, 2018

Cozumel News and Information December 1, 2018. Cozumel Predial Tax & Garbage Collection 2019 Discounts Announced, December Holidays and traditions in Cozumel, Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe Holiday, Our Lady of Guadalupe History, My Most Memorable Mexican Experience,and  Aurita’s Cozumel Corner.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebrations

Starting today, Mexico start celebrating the holiday of our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s Patron Saint.  The Our Lady of Guadalupe Holiday is on December 12th. Mexico and Central America celebrate this holiday in honor of “Dia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe”. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a tradition that started in the 1600′s.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as the Virgin Mary. Other titles are “Queen of Mexico”, “Empress of the Americas” and the “Patroness of the Americas”.   She is the most popular religious and cultural image in Mexico.

In Cozumel, as in all of Mexico, you will see processions on their way to Church to pray from every colony in the island.It is a beautiful sight to behold. Many pin Milagros or “miracles” and paper or real roses near the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe to pay homage. These Milagros are small silver or tin objects in the shape of hearts, arms or legs that symbolize the givers’ thanks for the cure of those limbs. Festivals in her honor include food along with prayers.

In Cozumel, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church goes all out for her on her day, you will see a big Statue to her out front. Our Lady of Guadalupe is located on 65th Avenida and Calle 8. Norte.

Pictured: Mexican pilgrims carry an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, outside the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, during the annual celebration of the virgin, early in the morning on December 12, 2010.  Photo credit: LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images)

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

How It Started:

On the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a simple peasant, saw a vision of a young woman in the early morning.  He was walking home on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City, Mexico. The young woman was surrounded by light and told Diego that she wanted a church built in her honor at that site.  Diego recognized that she was the Virgin Mary. After hearing about his vision,  a bishop asked Diego to return to the Lady and ask her to show a miraculous sign for proof.

Diego returned to the Lady and she told him to gather flowers from the hill. It was winter and the flowers had not bloomed.  Yet, that day Diego found flowers of every sort. Upon returning the Virgin placed the flowers into a peasant cloak.  Diego took the cloak to the Bishop.  Upon opening the cloak, he flowers fell to the floor and an imprint of the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe showed miraculously on Diego’s cloak. Today the cloak is displayed in the Basilica of Guadalupe.

 

 

Papeleria y Novedades Mama Lilly
Papeleria y Novedades Mama Lilly is a community based store. We carry School and Office supplies, copies, printing, laminating, scanning, and binding., Cosmetics, Perfumes, Beauty Needs, Gifts and Novelty Items.  We stock and order Avon, Terramar,  and  Mary Kay Products. Refreshments, Ice Cream, Ice, Coca Cola Products, and Snacks are available. We have a Mini Cyber Café and Calls to Mexico, U.S, and Canada. We are licensed, provide Facturas, and deliver to your home, business, or office. AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY SERVICE AVAILABLE!
Support a Neighborhood Business!
Telephone:   987-869-3119
EMAIL: mapapeleria@outlook.com
06:30 a.m. – 09:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
08:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m. Saturday
08:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m. Sunday
https://www.facebook.com/papeleriamamalilly/
35 Avenida Sur Entre Calles 17 y 15 Bis
Colonia Independencia (Near Independencia Sports Center

 

Aurita’s Cozumel Corner

Mea Culpa my dear readers! Please forgive my absence in the news section. I have been working seven days per week at our Mini Super, covering at the Papeleria, and doing the accounting for the two community businesses. Add some health issues, and something had to give and it was my weekly publications of The Cozumel Sun.

You have missed nothing. As promised, anything of any interest was posted in both our Facebook Group and Facebook page. Since the change of administration at the Municipal level, total silence has been the norm. The new administration is going through the motions of settling in.

The flow of information from the previous administration came to a dead stop and the new administration has been slow in sending out relevant information. The Tax discount information, that normally reaches us in November, just hit the media. I am not complaining; it takes time for a new administration to set up shop. I believe by the first of the year they should have their ducks in order.

My next few issues will cover:

Presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador

I am excited about the new President in Mexico. He was sworn in on Saturday, and came out swinging. I will be reporting this week on all the changes he has immediately started and his wonderful speech. He has cut all upper government salaries, former presidents’ pensions and security details. The Presidential Airplane is up for sale as I write! He refused the Limo and attended the ceremony in his own little car, I will tell you about it in the next 24 hours!

Independencia Neighborhood Watch Group

I am equally excited about our Neighborhood Watch Group. We have some plans going into place that are going to improve everyone’s quality of life in our neighborhood. I must also do an update on what is happening with Crime on the island.

Community project Update

Last of all an update on my community projects. Lots of thing accomplished, unfortunately we stretched ourselves out too far and have been hurting for day to day expenses as we try to keep the businesses running and support the families that depend on us.   Thank you those of you that have been helping us stay afloat!  I do not know how my family would have survived these past few months without your support! Thank you Ebeneezer members for including my family by your support and prayers.

 

 

 

My Most Memorable Experience in Mexico

In December of 2010 we made a road trip to Cozumel from our family’s beach home in Palm Coast, Florida. Picture three sixty something seniors (one wheel-chair bound), traveling with an eighty-year-old on Oxygen. We were moving my mother to Cozumel as she had been diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimer’s, and a nursing home was not an option.

We started the trip from one of my brother’s home near Jacksonville around four in the morning on December 1st.  At our very first rest stop, the van stalled for hours. We had not made it out of Florida!  Our plans included a mini vacation in New Orleans along the way. We arrived in New Orleans, as did a major storm that lasted our entire stay.

New Orleans

New Orleans was a nightmare. The hotel had given our handicap accessible rooms away and the four of us were cramped in the only room available. Super Bowl was in town, there were no other accommodations anywhere. The restaurant advertised in the hotel was nonexistent, and a McDonalds a block away was our only source of food our entire stay. I made the trips for food in the heavy rains, leaving Sharon to care for my mother and husband in the hotel room.

Tampico, Mexico

We spent our first scheduled stop in Mexico in the City of Tampico.  Early the next morning, we drove about two miles before the transmission died on the van.  luckily,  the van stopped right in front of another lodging. The front desk employee recommended an affordable mechanic that arrived within the hour. The hotel was very desolate. It sat back away from the main road and had very few employees. We might have been the only ones staying there. There was no help available to load and unload the van, and there was a long walk from the parking lot to the room. There was nowhere to go within walking distance.  My husband is diabetic and the lack of adequate food is as dangerous as the McDonald’s only diet in New Orleans. There was a restaurant at this place,  but it was closed until five in the evening.

The mechanic took two days to repair the car. He was four hours late returning it to us almost at noon . We had already checked out of the hotel and headed out immediately after the strenuous job of reloading the van to capacity.

December 12, 2010

On the road at last we passed a steady flow of processions honoring the Patron Saint of Mexico. It really made the drive special, the floats, flowers, statues, people, all made for a very stunning, inspirational, experience that took our minds off the nightmare that the trip had been up to that point.

Getting a late start threw us off the schedule that ensured we did not drive after dark. I drove past our normal stop for the night, and discovered the hard way that there was nowhere to stop and find shelter along that part of the route for hours.

Initially, I was very scared for our safety; one does not drive at night in the middle of Mexico. I make certain to  plan our trips with frequent stops and shorter driving hours, for safety and health reasons..

Amazingly, the processions honoring Our Lady went on through the entire night! We passed young people honoring her by running with torches in the dark over the mountains. We passed no other vehicles or trucks  during that very dark, very desolate stretch of land. It was an amazing sight to behold, that eased my nerves, took my mind off any potential danger.

The youth with the torches appeared along the road like guardian angels into the wee hours of the night.  They were with us until four in the morning when we reached Escarsaga. The entire experience from morning to night was beautiful and magical. Making that part of our trip my most memorable experience in Mexico!

Purchase your Holiday beverages, Superior, Tecate, Dos XX, Coors, Light, Heineken, Indio, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Coca Vodka Products at our neighborhood Mini Super!

Mexican Holiday Traditions Observed in December

December 12

Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) Celebrates the day that Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on Tepeyac hill to the native Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is not a state holiday.

December 16–24

Las Posadas (Las Posadas) Commemorates the Biblical New Testament story of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. The Posada is a candlelight processions with stops at various nativity scenes. They are usually accompanied by a piñata party for children and dance music for adults.

December 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)  is  a secular and religious winter holiday celebrating the eve of the nativity of Jesus.. The traditional treats for this holiday are buñuelos, tamales and atole or champurrado. Sometimes they eat gelatina de colores (different flavors of Jell-O and a milk-based Jell-O mixed together to make a colorful treat)

December 25

Navidad (Christmas) Christmas celebration; secular and religious holiday.

December 28

Dia de los Santos Innocentes (Day of the Innocents) On this day, people pull practical jokes on each other. It is equivalent to the U.S. version of April Fools’ Day (April 1).  If any person has fallen victim of the joke, the person pulling the joke will say ¡Inocente palomita…! literally meaning ‘Innocent little dove’ (equivalent to saying April Fools!).

December 31

Año Nuevo Vìspera (New Year’s Eve) Mexicans celebrate New Year’s Eve many ways. In Cozumel, many locals spend the night at the other side of the island on the beach to observe the first rays of the sun of the new year.

Other New Year’s Eve Traditions:

Decorating the home and New Year’s  party in the colors red, yellow, green, and white. The color Red is to encourage overall improvement of the lifestyle and love., and the color Yellow is to encourage blessings of improved employment conditions. The color Green is to improve financial circumstances, and  the color White is  to improve health.

Eat Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. The recipient whose slice contains the coin or charm is believed to be blessed with good luck in the new year.

Make a List of all bad or unhappy events from the current year. Throw the list into a fire, to symbolize the removal of negative energy from the New Year.

Eat 12 Grapes at Midnight. You are allowed to make one wish with each grape; eat one grape each the bell in church or  a clock chimes announcing midnight.

Mexicans celebrate by having a dinner at 1:00 a.m. with their families. The traditional meal being turkey and mole, a tradition that has now spanned worldwide.  After the meal party goers are free to go to local parties or nightclubs. In Mexico,block parties are common.  In Mexico City, there is a huge street festival on New Year’s Eve; celebrations center on the Zocalo, the city’s main square. You can expect a lot of firecrackers, fireworks and sparklers at midnight.