Most Mexican towns have a central square or 'zocalo' that they use as a social gathering point. The zocalo in Guaymas is located by the main church and on Sundays it is usually packed with church-goers and friends who just want to meet with other people. In some cities the central square is called the 'Plaza Major' and the people have never heard of a zocalo. The term varies from region to region.
A zocalo almost always has a bandstand in the middle with a connected walkway surrounding the area.
Whenever Fred and I travel to different cities we always try to find the zocalo as it is the area that will give us a true feel of the city. In the older and more traditional parts of Mexico, the zocalo is where the young teenage males gather in the evening to visit with the eligible young females. The girls come in groups and never alone. The more modern Mexicans meet in much the same way Canadians do.
We toured the zocalo in Guaymas today [Sunday] and were not disappointed with the activity we found. Surrounding the zocalo are vendors selling everything from hammocks to tacos and trinkets. Some zocalos are a major draw for beggars and homeless, but we did not see any of this in Guaymas.
We were in the church just before their Sunday service and observed people gathering small bunches of palm leaves. We don't quite know what was going on, but Mo would know the significance of this as she seems to always live as close as possible to a Catholic Church.
2 comments:
Yesterday, one week before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. In Canada the palm leaves are blessed during the mass and families take them home.
I knew it was Palm Sunday, but I didn't understand what they were doing with the leaves. Thanks for the info.
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