Every year on August 14th, the town of Huamantla, Tlaxcala, celebrates its matriarch’s birthday –the Virgin of Charity. The festivity, also known as ‘The night when no one sleeps’, consists of making beautiful carpets out of colored sawdust and sand, from 5pm to 1am.
Locals take turns in transforming their streets into mesmerizing pieces of art that only last for a couple of hours, until they vanish under the feet of those taking part in the Virgin’s procession from 1:30am till dawn, approximately. It’s a show you must be part of at least once in your life. Take a look at our gallery!
Vendors choose their spot on the streets since early hours.
Most of them sell ‘munchies’ for the long night ahead.
Tons of colored sawdust and sand are delivered and set aside on the sidewalks.
Neighbors from each street choose the design they’ll make and pay for all expenses.
From 5pm to 1am, they fill the streets with beautiful art.
They think of their hard work as a gift to the Virgin, on her birthday.
As they complete their designs, different music groups give a presentation, from a classic orchestra to a salsa ensemble.
Wear comfortable shoes, because you’ll be walking for hours. There are more than 7km of carpets waiting to be admired.
You’ll be tempted with many snacks. There appears to be a standard price of $10 mxn, whether it’s an esquite, a huge concha or a hotdog.
You’ll smell these ‘chalupas’ from blocks away. It’s a fried tortilla with lots of salsa and chicken.
‘Fair Bread’, a Mexican recipe, is what’s sold the most. Huge loaves for just a couple of pesos.
Just when you think a carpet is finished, you’ll see a group of people adding more details and rows to make it wider.
If you arrive at 10pm, you’ll get to see most of the carpets completed. Those in the main road tend to have a more intricate design.
Be patient. Sidewalks are too small for the amount of people that come to the event, so you’ll likely get pushed and shoved.
As you walk away from the town’s center, streets will become less crowded. Giving you plenty of room to take pictures.
Keep an eye on your watch and be back at the kiosk by 12:30am. Just in time to grab a spot alongside one of the carpets and wait for the statue of the Virgin to pass.
At 1-1:30am, fireworks will light up the sky and the Virgin will make her way out of the church with a procession behind her, to commemorate her birthday.
People wait patiently for the Virgin to pass by. Once she does, those who want may walk behind her and take part in the mass given in her name.
The crazy/sad part is that a few minutes after the carpets are completely done, the Virgin and the people behind her walk on top of them, so by 5am there’s no trace of them.
Some believe that their beauty is within their ephemerality. We just wish they left them intact at least for a day. Or two.
Useful information
Don’t forget to book this cooking experience during your time in Huamantla! You’ll love it!
2 Comments
Maricela López Rivera
August 17, 2017 / 3:44 pm
Wow había visto fotos de los tapetes de flores y aserrin de Huamantla. Me encantó ver las fotos de cómo los hacen. Gracias por comprartir otro pedacito de nuestro país.
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Wow había visto fotos de los tapetes de flores y aserrin de Huamantla. Me encantó ver las fotos de cómo los hacen. Gracias por comprartir otro pedacito de nuestro país.
Author
¡Gracias a ti por leernos! 🙂 Qué bueno que te gustaron.