Celebrating Chilili's patron saint
As luminarias burn along the roadside, Robert Garcia cruises his yellow 1957 Chevrolet pickup up and down N.M. 337 through Chilili. The East Mountains village celebrated the feast of its patron saint Aug. 3 as it has done for generations — with traditional dances, church services, a community meal and music.
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As the community processes down N.M. 337, the main road through Chilili, Noe Gutierrez fires a rifle to scare off any bad spirits. A mix of Spanish, Mexican, American Indian and Catholic traditions contribute to the feast of San Juan Neponuceno, the East Mountains village's patron saint.
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Isabela Lucero, 10, La Malinche for this year's festival, dances with the Matachines inside the church. "The Malinche is very, very special. She is dressed in white, pure white. That (symbolizes) she is a virgin and she is getting ready to receive her communion," resident Ernest Gutierrez said.
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After the last ceremony at the church, residents gather to play music, drink cerveza and visit outside the community center in Chilili. Later in the evening, a dance is held.
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Dominick Gutierrez, 19, gets makeup applied to his face in the side room of the Chilili church. Gutierrez was getting ready to perform with the Matachines as La Pirojundia, a clown-like character dressed as a woman to provide entertainment for the crowd.
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