From San Luís Potosí Adriana and I were hitchhiking towards Jerez, a little city in the state of Zacatecas, on Saturday of Glory, 20th of April. It is the oldest trade fair celebration in the State of Zacatecas, attracts thousands of visitors from all over Mexico and abroad. Hundreds of horsemen ride the main streets of the city proudly wearing the charro costume, inviting women to ride their horses. A lot of different "Bandas" play the typical music of the north of Mexico, in La Quema (The Burning) de Judas figures, peppered with fireworks, are set on fire and afterwards there are numerous beer showers in the centre of the city.
We were lucky that three different people took us with them this day early in the morning to arrive in Jeréz on time for the spectacle. Our breakfast consisted of tamales warmed up in the microwave of an Oxxo. Oxxo is a Mexican retail chain, which has stores all over the country in nearly every village, open in most cases 24/7. Actually, the microwaves in this chain are intended exclusively for the products available in the store. However, the shop assistant in this store was generous or did not know that. In Jeréz we tried a few specialities of the city like the famous Nieves de Guayaba (water ice with guava). We also tried tostadas de trompa de cerdo en vinagre (fried tortillas with pork's snout in vinegar), served with a red sauce with chile.
The complete name of the city is Jerez de García Salinas and thanks to its traditions it's one of Mexicos Pueblos Mágicos. Starting at 11 a.m. the city is crossed by hundreds of horsemen and also some horsewomen who come from all over Mexico or the USA to take part in this festival. It's an incredibly cheerful parade, where beer and tequila are consumed in large quantities, both by spectators and by the active participants. As a result, caution is advised in the streets of Jerez at a later hour as some riders no longer have control over their horses.
La Quema de Judas: This tradition refers to the hanging of Judas and the disapproval of the people for his betrayal. The people of Jerez hang several dolls made of paper in the streets, which inside contain gunpowder and represent personalities of the society. The horsemen that ride through the streets are in charge of lighting a fuse which starts a countdown before the Judas explodes. Horses, horsemen as well as spectators live seconds of adrenaline not knowing when the gunpowder will explode.
After the parade ends everbody seems to go crazy. People throw their beer cans and cups in a circle over their heads and try to give as many people as possible a beer shower. All over the city you can hear Mexican "banda" music, which fire up the beer consumption and the beer showers. As there was no single cloud in the sky this day people were searching for shadow and they willingly accepted the beery cooling.
In many stores in the city you can buy all the equipment necessary to look like an authentic charro: Equestrian shoes, belts, wallets, protection cases for mobile phones etc. In Jerez we were staying with Janalté who would have liked to show us more of the city and its surroundings, but the next day we continued our journey to the capital of the state, Zacatecas.
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