Cozumel News April 23, 2026

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The Cozumel News April 23, 2026: El Cedral Festival of Santa Cruz de Saban, Todos Somos Cozumel, and more!

El Cedral Festival of Santa Cruz de Saban

Cozumel Calender 2026 Read El Cedral Schedule in English

The History

The festival of El Cedral takes place in Cozumel annually. It began as the religious festival, “Santa Cruz de Sabán” over 178 years ago. At that time, the Cast War was taking place in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Young Casimiro Cárdenas

Casimiro Cárdenas was a member of a group that was attacked by Mayans in a village called Sabán. Knowing the Mayans were close, Cárdenas found shelter in a church in the Village. When the Mayans attacked, the shelter proved to be useless, and many members of the party were killed.

The Promise

Cárdenas, gravely wounded and covered in blood, held his crucifix in his hand and in a moment of consciousness, made a promise. He promised that if he ever reached a safe place to settle, he would hold a solemn service to honor the religious power of the crucifix, “Santa Cruz”, each and every year of his life.

The survivors of the attack continued their journey, among them the young Casimiro Cárdenas. They arrived on the island of Cozumel and founded the Village of El Cedral over the ruins of the ancient town of Oycib.

After settling, Casimiro fulfilled his promise and celebrated the first service to Santa Cruz de Sabán (Holy Cross of Sabán) in 1848.

When Don of Casimiro Cárdenas died, his wife continued the religious festivities. Today, their descendants, the Cárdenas Montero Family are keepers of the Festival of the Holy Cross of Sabán.

Years have passed and going to El Cedral with the family to celebrate the Holy Cross has become a tradition. In 1975 local authorities decided to join the Cárdenas Family and include commercial and recreational events with the religious festivities.

Today

Today, the festival is the oldest in the state with 166 years of uninterrupted celebration. The Festival at El Cedral includes regional handicraft exhibitions, horse races, bullfights, rooster fights, concerts, gastronomy, competitions, sporting events and many cultural events such as the traditional “Jarana” dance and the unique “Dance of the Hog Head.”  

The festival is generally held the end of April and beginning of May. Shuttle buses run almost continually from the Chedraui lot.

Cozumel News April 23, 2026 Continued

The Cozumel Sun Book Exchange & Store

The Book Exchange and Store is located in our community store. 35 Avenida entre Calles 17 / 15 Bis. Colonia Independencia.

HOURS OF OPERATION

April 2026

Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturdays 8 a.m. – 1:00 CLOSED SATURDAY APRIL 25

Sundays Closed EXCEPT ON ANNOUNCED BAZAR DAYS!

AVAILABLE OTHER HOURS BY APPOINTMENT!

Call Julian 987 118 8020

The Cozumel Sun Book Exchange Rules

• Everyone must fill out a membership form.
• We ask that you limit your exchange to two books per visit.
• If you do not have two books to exchange, we suggest a 50 peso donation.

There is a maintenance charge of $10 pesos per book. (The ten pesos go to Julian who will disinfect the front and back cover and return to the proper shelf.)

Support The Book Exchange!

Stop by and check out the products in our store! In addition to school and Office Supplies, we have Gift items, perfumes, Colognes, health and beauty products. We also print, laminate, and bind!

Todos Somos Cozumel

The medicine that the Cozumel Sun Collects gets donated monthly to Todos Somos Cozumel. It is my pleasure to feature this great organization in this edition.

Don Reyes Ramirez founded and runs Todos Somos Cozumel. The organization focuses on the most vulnerable of the population who are unable to provide or care for themselves. However, TSC receives no government funding.

The Medical Dispensary

The dispensary has a large supply of medicines. Primarily, the medication has been donated by the Mexican military from which Don Reyes is a retiree. As a result, these medicines are free to anyone with a valid prescription who cannot afford to buy them.

The Medical Personnel

The organization focuses heavily on medical care, something sorely needed in Cozumel. The dispensary has doctors who volunteer their time. There is an internist there daily. In addition, a physical therapist, a psychologist, a pediatrician, an orthopedist, a gynecologist, a surgeon, and a nurse are also on board.

The cost of a consultation with one of the specialists is $100 pesos if the patient can pay. However, If not, there is no charge. Surgeries, even with the surgeon donating his services are expensive. For instance, there are additional charges for the operating room, anesthesia etc. Don Reyes has established a good relationship with the directors of the public hospitals. Consequently, he is generally able to negotiate a lower cost for use of their facilities.

Serving the Community

Don Reyes is on call 24 hours a day. It is not unusual for him to receive a call during the night when there has been an accident or other medical emergency. However, he not only responds immediately, he also stays with the family to assist. For instance, when there is no family on the island, he continues to attend to the patient as if he were family. He regularly visits his house-bound “patients”, bringing them their food, and medicines. Additionally, he schedules home visits by a doctor and/or transportation to and from medical appointments.

How to Donate

You can donate to Todos Somos Cozumel with confidence! The funds wil be used for those who are the neediest, and often forgotten part of our Cozumel population. If you are in Cozumel, we will be happy to make any arrangements to accept your donation. Meanwhile, If you wish to help, and are not on the island, you may donate through PayPal at https://www.paypal.me/todossomoscozumelac.