As I was readying myself for bed at 8 pm (yes…I’m an old lady) tonight I heard a musical commotion outside my door. My house is usually pretty loud, but this was uncharacteristically loud and it was live music. I opened my door to find a hundred or so people crowded outside. The sides of the street were lined with people clapping, screaming and dancing to the music. They were celebrating the saint Jeronimo. A statue of the saint is carried around to houses whom have set up altars in honor of said saint. The altars are extremely ornate, made of red satin cloth, small overly be-jeweled statues and millions of Christmas lights or candles. The saint is followed by a band with an emphasis on its brass section and the saint itself is a small simple statue carried on a chair made of flowers, leaves and palms. This is all mounted on a square wooden structure complete with handles for its 4 carriers to hold on to. The 4 men and women carrying the saint bounce up and down to the music, spinning in circles for about 30 minutes until it is time to pray. The saint then enters the house and is placed on the alter where he will stay for a day or two. Now that the partying has calmed down a bit, the praying starts. Someone with a microphone starts the prayers. The group of prayers is smaller than the dancers, but it is still an impressive group. They pray for twenty minutes and then continue on with their normal nightly routines. Attached here are some pictures from the night…I apologize for the darkness, but you get the idea of how festive the celebration is! (I tried to upload a video too, but my internet is too slow.)
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