involves dressing the alligator or caiman in a white wedding dress plus other colorful garments.The seven-year-old reptile
is believed to be a deity representing mother earth
and her marriage to the local leader symbolizes the joining of humans with the divine.As trumpets blared and drums provided a festive beat
locals carried the alligator bride in their arms through village streets as men fanned it with their hats."It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots," said Elia Edith Aguilar
known as the godmother who organized the wedding.She said that she feels privileged to be entrusted with carrying out the ceremony
and noted she spent a lot of time fretting over what the bride would wear."It's a very beautiful tradition," she added with a smile.Reporting by Jose Cortes; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Michael Perry
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MEXICO (TND) — A mayor in Mexico has a new bride
Local lore refers to the female reptile as "the princess girl."
AFP says marriage between a man and a reptile has taken place for 230 years to commemorate the day two Indigenous groups of people reached peace through a marriage. Tradition says a Chontal king, represented in modern times by the mayor, married a princess girl from theHuave Indigenous group, represented by the caiman
This marriage allows the sides to "link with what is the emblem of Mother Earth
all those things that are peace and harmony for the Chontal man," said Jaime Zarate
AFP says the reptile is taken from house to house before the ceremony dressed in a headdress of ribbons so residents can take her in their arms and dance
She is then dressed in a white bride costume and transported to the town hall for the big event
Victor Hugo Sosa, the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula in Mexico, wed an alligator bride in hopes of bringing prosperity to his community, Reuters reported
in a ritual ceremony that dates to pre-Hispanic times
the mayor kissed and danced with the 7 year old reptile — who was dressed in a white bridal dress — as a prayer for nature's bounty.
The marriage symbolizes the connection between humans and the divine.
trumpets blared and locals carried the bride in their arms and fanned her with their hats
"It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots," Reuters reported Aguilar said
Mexico - A small town mayor in Mexico was symbolically wed to a crocodile bride on Friday as part of an age-old tradition
it is believed that the marriage between the local leader and a crocodile represents the joining of humans with the divine and will bring a plentiful harvest to farmers
Mayor Victor Sosa served as the groom at this year's ceremony and was wed to a 7-year-old reptile dressed in a white wedding dress
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recently got bonded in holy matrimony with a female crocodile named Alicia Adriana."What
That's insane!" These thoughts may have crossed your mind when you first read the headline
eager to satisfy your curiosity about this seemingly absurd occurrence
and you would be even more surprised to learn that there was a big formal wedding held at the Town Hall
The man even kissed his ‘bride’ at the end of the ceremony!
but it's important to recognise that this is a respected cultural practice in Mexico that holds significance for certain communities.
The husband of the newlywed crocodile happens to be the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula
a town inhabited by the Indigenous Chontal people in the Tehuantepec isthmus of Mexico.
and boy did this guy profess his love!
Sosa spoke on the importance of love in marriage and said during the ritual
"I accept responsibility because we love each other
I yield to marriage with the princess girl." (The townspeople refer to the reptile as "Princess girl".)
the mayor planted a kiss on the snout of the crocodile to officially seal the deal.
Something along the lines of “you may now kiss the bride”
Only this bride has her mouth tied shut to avoid “kissing” back
What’s the story behind this unusual marital bond?Now to the main gist
What drives Mexican people to marry crocodiles
as witnessed in ancient civilizations like the Aztecs and Mayans
It is revered as a symbol of authority and divine wisdom
The act of marriage holds so much importance in this ritual
symbolising the deep connection between humans and the divine
It is worth noting that this unusual ceremony is not a recent occurrence but has a longstanding history that predates the Spanish colonization of Mexico
likely dating back even further to the pre-Hispanic era
particularly among the indigenous Chontal and Huave communities in the state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca is arguably the country's richest in indigenous culture and home to numerous groups that have maintained and preserved their ancient traditions
In this peculiar ritual of San Pedro Huamelula
the priest adorns the crocodile in a white wedding dress along with various colourful garments
referred to as "the Princess" by the local community
would be all dressed up and specially prepared for her wedding day
She wears a custom-made white wedding gown
and completes the look with a floral crown
the crocodile would be paraded from house to house
allowing residents to hold her in their arms and dance
This ritual is believed to bring about prosperity and blessings to the community
So if you have ever thought it absurd that people marry animals
married a female reptile in a traditional ceremony believed to bring good fortune
an alligator-like marsh dweller endemic to Central America and Mexico
Victor swore to be true to what local lore calls “the princess girl.”
“I accept responsibility because we love each other
You can’t have a marriage without love
I yield to marriage with the princess girl,” Sosa said during the ritual
A man and a female caiman have been marrying for 230 years in the town to mark the day when two Indigenous groups declared peace through marriage
a Chontal King married a princess girl of the Huave Indigenous group
The wedding ceremony allows the communities to connect with the earth and seek blessings for rain
“The wedding allows the sides to link with what is the emblem of Mother Earth
all those things that are peace and harmony for the Chontal man,” Jaime Zarate
The female alligator is taken to local homes for dancing prior to the wedding ceremony
the mayor dances with the “bride” and gives the alligator a kiss on the nose
The mayor of Mexico’s San Pedro Huamelula married a crocodile as part of a ritual to usher in a good harvest pic.twitter.com/JYByIWYbRb
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 2, 2023
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MEXICO CITY – A mayor of a Mexican town ‘tied knot’ with a crocodile this weekend to bring abundance to the town he leads
who was decked out in a white wedding dress and flower crown on her head
The bizarre ceremony is believed to be a tradition that dates back several centuries in the town
The groom stated the Huaves people call the crocodile “a princess and the role I play is being the husband of the princess.”
The ceremony symbolizes the union of two indigenous groups
the Chontales and the Huaves (also known as the Mareños)
The two lived in conflict in pre-Hispanic times
when the Huaves arrived to the land where the Chontales lived on the Pacific Coast
They both claimed to have the power to bring good luck to the harvest
conflict between the groups ended when the son of the king of the Chontales and the daughter of the king of the Huales fell in love and eventually got married
the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula represents the prince of the Chontales and the reptile crocodile is the princess of the Huale people
including a dance between reptile and groom
The wedding is part of festivities in honor of Saint Peter
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The Santiago Times is an English-language newspaper published in Santiago
Canada that reports news in Chile and other parts of Latin America