No Sleep but Plenty of Excitement

This post requires at least two subtitles: "Our own Running of the Bulls" or "Fire Marshall's Nightmare".

After a strenuous day out celebrating with the bishop (see previous blog)we came home to our quiet little house in the garden behind the church. Right? No, quite wrong. First the brass band with bass drums and cymbals got going, then loud bangs, fireworks and lots of hub bub in the churchyard. Curiosity won out and I wrapped up against the misty rain that most folks here ignore, and went out to see.

There, besides the usual fireworks, was the papier mache bull, perched on a man's shoulders, first chasing the kids up the walk, then turning tail and running as they all wildly chase after., while the band plays on. Finally, one of the men on the team sets fire to a wick, a wheel on the front starts to burn, sparkle and turn, then more and more sparkles shoot off, all the while children and bull chasing back and forth, occasionally threatening the more timid adults huddling on the sides. After a while, it burns down, so is all over? NO! Another wick catches and sets off more! More running and shrieking, this repeated three or more times, until finally the bull is all done. Then a suspenseful wait, while we all catch our breath, and a few minutes later, another bull emerges from the church, where they are all waiting. I discover we have 5 tonight, all to celebrate the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, almost 500 years ago.

This may sound like a kind of insanity to folks in the cold Northlands, but actually it creates a fine community, family sort of feeling. It is anticipated and prepared for all year, and requires an enormous amount of collaboration. Yes, it is expensive, but not in vain. Does Mary enjoy it all? I sort of think she just might.

As the fireworks continue to burn, a thick smoke develops, not dissipated at all by the mist. Another man, a keeper of sorts, runs alongside the bull to steer him around and help watch out for obstacles or dangers. While all this is going on, another two teams keep regular rockets of all sorts going into the sky, and the band plays on, and on, and on....