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Culture, tradition mark Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration

Parishioners in Hamburg wear traditional clothes, accessories in honor of Mary Dec. 8

Published: December 13, 2018      

By Malea Hargett
Editor

Malea Hargett

Parishioners carry a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned by red and white flowers at the conclusion of Mass Dec. 8 at Holy Spirit Church in Hamburg.

Malea Hargett

Parishioners carry a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned by red and white flowers at the conclusion of Mass Dec. 8 at Holy Spirit Church in Hamburg.

Mass to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception Dec. 8 at Holy Spirit Church in Hamburg was a colorful sight with women and men dressed in traditional clothing from Mexico.

Many women and girls wore rainbow-colored ribbons on their braided hair, which is custom in the southern state of Michoacan where many parishioners are from. The traditional dress is usually only worn in the United States for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day.

Hector Mondragon, a parishioner for 20 years, said one can still see today older ladies in Michoacan dressed in the colorful dresses and ribbons.

“That is how they fix their hair every day,” he said.

Sister Margarita Castro, CMST, said the traditional dress is the custom for those who are descendants of the native tribes. The women are known as guares.

The band Tamborazo Zacatecano de Arkansas from Russellville performed after Mass and at the lunch at the Ashley County Fairgrounds. A planned procession before Mass to the town square was rained out.

“Holy Spirit is a community primarily of Latino families. Most of them are very young,” pastor Father Stephen Hart said. “Most of them have come here from Mexico, primarily Michoacan and Guanajuato.”

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