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Fireworks in the pre-dawn


tomgates

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Actually, a great many Mexicans also hate the cohetes (and ear-splitting music), especially the middle/older aged folks and moms with babies. But I have found Mexicans to be largely passive when it comes to trying to change things. IMO there is nothing wrong with resident gringos trying to change things which are dangerous like crazy decibel levels- it is damaging EVERYONE'S hearing. Or burning plastic garbage, which effects the whole planet. What is best is if gringos AND like-minded Mexicans try to make changes together.

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The problem here is not the cohetes and fiestas themselves, it is the fact that so many gringos visit or move here without any knowledge of the fact that Mexico has a unique culture very different from North America, even in the Mexican areas. Please read the above link for more information. The fiestas are much loved and a deep and important part of the culture here - which is, by far, the majority culture! If you don't like cohetes, you can blame the Spaniards for bringing gunpowder - and guns - to the "new" world. These fiestas have been going on for almost 500 years.

It is understandable that people from up north who heard cohetes, without knowing what they were, would be alarmed. They do resemble the sound of gunfire, and the USA is awash in guns and too many unstable people who hoard and use them, with constant, unending tragic results. So, many newbies here do have a knee-jerk, reflexive reaction to cohetes.

But, once you know that cohetes are always a sign of celebration, you can relax and learn to enjoy it. If your pets over-react, you can soothe them. It's no worse than a heavy thunderstorm, and we all have to adjust to that!

Ajijic is well known in the area for having the most, and the most fun fiestas. Celebrating and humor are big traditions here because the name of the town, itself - Ah Hee HEEK - sounds like laughter in any language. So, I am told - en Espanol - by village elders. That is why people are so cheerful here! Ajijic is the town that laughs!

The Virgin of the Rosary fiesta during the month of October culminates with a fabulous procession and fiesta on October 31, which has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween. Please know that you have entertainment options for that date! Plus, Dia de los Muertos comes 2 days after. There will be cohetes and extra Masses and Rosary services throughout October, but the bandas and procession with fabulous troupes of danzantes from different areas, happens only on the 31st.

Do not even think about complaining to the authorities about any of this. They are the ones who will tell you - if you don't like it, you can leave. The local people are already aware that the gringos often don't like their fiestas and traditions. As one village elder told me - En Espanol - It's our town; don't tell us how to live!

Unfortunately, the all-English promotional websites about this area rarely give you the full picture of the real life in Mexico!

Here are few videos of past Virgin del Rosario events: I now know how to string multiple videos together into one, but it's too much work to go back and re-do the old ones. It takes about an hour to upload 1 minute of video! Enjoy!

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When I lived in Catemaco, Veracruz the explosions were daily all throughout the day. I asked a person setting them off in the street the reason for the noise. He quickly told me it was someones birthday. I told him that in a town with 27,000, it was always about 74 people's birthday, every day. He gave me a stare while he calculated, and finally exclaimed, "Asi es la vida".

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What's tiresome to me is people who moved here voluntarily constantly whining about things they don't like,

Maybe they should move back north..

How does a comment about one thing equate to "constantly whining"?

An observation is made. Nobody is starting petitions to change things. Nobody is going door-to-door at 5am screaming that the noise must stop. I am sure in our home countries where we voluntarily lived for many years before moving here, we were free to make observations of what we liked and did not like about our own social, political and economic system. And when people responded with, "love it or leave it" we usually scoffed at such an extreme and unreasonable reaction.

But it seems like once you are an expat and come to a new country, expressing an observation or opinion about an aspect of living the new place makes you a "constant whiner" and you should go home.

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They actually started this morning at 5:00 AM with one rocket to get you awake then every 15 minutes to keep you awake and hopefully walking to the pier where the procession starts about 5:45 AM. It has a few people walking, singing, and carrying paper and bamboo lanterns with candles inside. Charming and lovely except for the cohetes that are launched about one per block and then a bunch more when they all arrive at the church. It is a very superstitious citizenry steeped in traditions they many times don't even understand. But they are never changing even though the churches are getting less supportive of the fireworks thing.

Since we're awakened anyway, living not much more than a block from the church, I'd like to join the procession. Where?? The pier? Does the starting point change?

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There seems to be an awful lot of proselytizing on these boards about how people, from foreigners to Mexicans should live life in Mexico.

Why can't everyone just do their own thing, if it's legal, and let it be at that. One size doesn't fit everyone, no matter what their origin is.

Comments and observations are fine, but this elitist preaching about what you should or should not be enjoying or complaining about, is all in the eye of the beholder and should be left to each individual to decide.

Unless, of course, you are smarter than the person(s) you are trying to influence. :)

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There seems to be an awful lot of proselytizing on these boards about how people, from foreigners to Mexicans should live life in Mexico.

Why can't everyone just do their own thing, if it's legal, and let it be at that. One size doesn't fit everyone, no matter what their origin is.

Comments and observations are fine, but this elitist preaching about what you should or should not be enjoying or complaining about, is all in the eye of the beholder and should be left to each individual to decide.

Unless, of course, you are smarter than the person(s) you are trying to influence. :)

I'm not in favor of elitist preaching either, but I don't see most of the comments that way. If people can express their opinions about NOT liking cohetes, I don't see why other people can't express their opinions about those opinions. Are some opinions more OK than others?

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When you are awakened, the intent is that you jump into your clothes and follow the sound of the cohetes, or get sight of them, above the scene of the action. That system worked well long before newspapers or telephones, even before expats on webboards.

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Second on the no-preaching. A bit tiresome, don`t you think? Ever heard of just having a conversation? If you don`t like my post, go back to the US. (kidding)

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You get off pretty lightly compared to other parts of Mexico. I have posted this before, an episode of "An Idjeet Abroad" in Mexico City with the Easter fireworks - sort of a barrio version of the running of the bulls! I believe Mexico City, at least is trying to tone this down because of so many injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq3AKAP-bbI

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If one doesn't like the opinions about cohetes, the proper response is to express different opinions, not attack the opinions of others.

I'm curious as to what the tradition was before the practice of setting off made in China fireworks in the predawn hours got started. I believe the tradition was the beating of drums and the use of other home grown noisemakers. Is that correct?

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I would think the Catholic used the bells of the churches to call their flocks , the drum at least in France was for the town announcements.

Gunpowder came to Mexico with the Spaniards so who knows how it all started. The fireworks became popular in the 19th century and Mexico is a big producer but who knows about the cohetes. I would thing the cohetes carry noise much farther than bells or drums so may be some gun shot may have been the beginning. Who knows-

The cohetes I find on the roof are made of bamboo. It is a little tube of bamboo hollowed out and it has a long tail made of bamboo as well..

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I'm curious as to what the tradition was before the practice of setting off made in China fireworks in the predawn hours got started. I believe the tradition was the beating of drums and the use of other home grown noisemakers. Is that correct?

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jornada.unam.mx%2F2003%2F09%2F15%2F02an1cul.php%3Forigen%3Dcultura.php%26fly%3D1&edit-text=&act=url

Abra este contenido en una nueva ventana [Open in a new window]

I have seen a few firecracker factories in Mexico that manufacture the cheaper firecrackers and small rockets. One is in Mexicali. They have mobile trailers they set up during Christmas and New Years and Sept. [independance celebrations] and sell packages of various types very cheap.

The 3 in the article above are World class manufactures of rockets.

I doubt with the small artisan cottage industry rockets, the factories manufaturing the cheap firecrackers and rockets and the 3 in the atrticle that many, if any, are Chinese made.

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Some of the cohetes are made in upper Ajijic. That is who we buy from and send others too. There are a few other houses to buy from, but that is our favorite. We like our cohetes homegrown and hand packed. Some of ours are even made with the Guad Reporter.

Mainecoons why would you think someone is buying those cohetes from china.

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I cannot recall the name, but there is an entire city in Mexico that depends upon the manufacture or fireworks of all types and sizes. Yes, there are small manufacturers in Ajijic, and in Chapala and other locations.

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Oh my.....

Just because you chose to live somewhere doesn't mean you have to be happy with everything about it. That's true anywhere. There were things I hated about the US and there are things I don't like here.

Nothing wrong with wishing for improvement in quality of life. Certainly being able to sleep and not have your property damaged seem reasonable to me. It's simple consideration for others.

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Nothing wrong with wishing for improvement in quality of life. Certainly being able to sleep and not have your property damaged seem reasonable to me. It's simple consideration for others.

Not to be argumentative, but that consideration, as explained to me by several locals is, "I tolerate your noise so that you will tolerate mine."

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Some of the cohetes are made in upper Ajijic. That is who we buy from and send others too. There are a few other houses to buy from, but that is our favorite. We like our cohetes homegrown and hand packed. Some of ours are even made with the Guad Reporter.

Mainecoons why would you think someone is buying those cohetes from china.

See Alan's post.

I've shopped for and bought fireworks here and they were stamped "made in China."

HOWEVER, buy Mexican for a bigger bang!

https://youtu.be/y-fE3nsIh4k

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