Mexican mayor marries an ALLIGATOR wearing a wedding dress
Mexican mayor marries an ALLIGATOR wearing a wedding dress and seals nuptials by kissing his new bride ‘Princess’ as part of age-old ritual
- San Pedro Huamelula Mayor married an alligator in a wedding dress in Mexico
- Victor Hugo Sosa married the alligator and asked for abundance from nature
- The ritual likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic indigenous communities
A Mexican mayor married an alligator that was wearing a wedding dress and sealed their nuptials with a kiss.
San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa married the alligator as part of an age-old indigenous ritual to bring abundance to the village in southwestern Mexico.
The seven-year-old reptile, referred to as Little Princess, is believed to be a deity representing Mother Earth and her marriage to the local leader symbolises the joining of humans with the divine.
In a colourful ceremony, traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to kiss his new bride.
Trumpets blared and drums provided a festive beat as the mayor carried the alligator bride in his arms through the streets as men fanned it with their hats.
San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa (centre, holding his bride) married the alligator as part of an age-old indigenous ritual to bring abundance to the village in southwestern Mexico
The alligator’s jaws had been tied shut to prevent any unwanted biting during the ritual
Elia Edith Aguilar, known as the godmother who organised the wedding, said she spent a lot of time fretting over what the bride would wear
Elia Edith Aguilar, known as the godmother who organised the wedding, said: ‘It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots.
‘It’s a very beautiful tradition.’
She added it was a privilege to be entrusted with carrying out the ceremony and said she spent a lot of time fretting over what the bride would wear.
Victor Hugo Sosa is the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, a village in Mexico
In a colorful ceremony, traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to kiss his new bride
Trumpets blared and drums provided a festive beat as the mayor carried the alligator bride in his arms through the streets as men fanned it with their hats
The small alligator’s snout was tied shut to avoid unwanted biting as the mayor kissed it multiple times throughout the ceremony.
The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities,
It is similar to a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty in the village.
Mayor Sosa said: ‘We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river.’
San Pedro Huamelula is a small fishing village on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast in Mexico
The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities
It is similar to a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty and abundance in the village
Mayor Sosa said: ‘We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river’
The alligator was carried through the streets and followed by a procession of people
Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions.
San Pedro Huamelula is a small fishing village on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast.
The age-old ritual in San Pedro Huamelula, now mixed with Catholic spirituality, involves dressing the alligator or caiman in a white wedding dress plus other colorful garments.
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