The annual brujo festival on the first Friday of March as usual will start on the first Thursday.
Catemaco is internationally famous for its brujos (witches, healers) and maintains a stable of more than 100 practitioners catering to mostly Mexican adherents, including prominent political figures. Brujo clients range from those seeking alternative health care and spells to improve their business, political standing or love relationships, to those needing a hex to damage or even kill opponents. The most popular practice is a "limpia" (cleaning), a minor ceremony to relieve a client from evil spirits.
The festival was originated by the brujos themselves more than 30 years ago, but by now the municipal government has taken over the event. The last 5 years, the event was heavily politicized and basically a mass bacchanalia.
This year's new Catemaco mayor has seriously revamped the program of the event and plans to focus on the cultural and anthropological aspects of the local phenomena.
The event runs from March 3 to 6.
Thursday to Sunday, stalls will be erected on several of the promontories jutting into Laguna Catemaco from the Malecòn (boardwalk). They will house local and Mexican handicrafts, culinary displays, individual brujo stalls, herbal plants, etc.
Thursday, starting at 6 pm, at the "Cerrito" a small hill in the center of town, alleged to be an old pyramid.
Salute to the four cardinal points of earth, followed by dances and other shows, terminating with a midnight ceremony and "limpia".
On Friday morning 6 am, a salute to the sun is scheduled.
Other events on Friday to Sunday will be in the town square of Catemaco.
Friday, beginning at 6 pm, conferences, shaman rituals and dances, capped at 9 pm by the performance of the theatrical work "La Llorana", a popular local legend, accompanied by a drum corp from Tlacotalpan.
Saturday, beginning at 7 pm, conferences, followed at 8 by a multidisciplinary show of music, songs and dances and ending at 11.
Sunday, beginning at 6 pm, dances, then from 7:30 to 9, the youth orchestra from Coatzacoalcos and ending from 9 to 11 with a public dance featuring the "Hermanos Santos".
You may notice the popular black mass on midnight Thursday, accompanied by burning pentagrams and massacred black chickens, is absent from the program.
Have no fear, the brujo "El Indio" has promised to perform one on the banks of the Rio Grande in Tepetapan (outskirts of the city) on Thursday midnight. Most other major brujos will also hold private masses in their lairs.
Also, Nanciyaga will have its traditional Friday night spring rites ceremony in its jungle setting.
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