San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jalisco

Yesterday, May 3rd, was a traditional Catholic holiday, which has been discontinued by the church in Rome since 1960 but continues here. Mexico was granted specific privileges by the Pope. The celebration has morphed from 'Day of the Holy Cross' to 'Celebration of the Construction Worker.' All around town were set up altars with fresh flowers and in each the cross was featured front and center. At about 1pm I started to notice construction workers heading home, some with a beer in hand. That is part of the tradition: workers get half the day off and people pray at the altars for the continued success of the construction trade. Meantime, from about 6am, rockets punctuated the air. Workers traditionally set off fireworks on May 3rd in an attempt to notify their guardian angels that they are stout workers. (Something like that).