Festival of St Michael Archangel
When the Franciscan monks arrived in this place in the 17th century, they built the church where one day the image of St Michael Archangel later appeared. From this moment onwards, locals have honored the archangel with a celebration that goes on for around eight days during the month of September.
Being a part of this celebration is a genuinely fascinating experience. The atrium is the stage for traditional dances, such as the danzas de los santiagueros (dances of the faith healers) with the rattling of their metal bells, the negritos with the rhythmic stamping of their feet, the hunting of the ixkuti, the splendor of the quetzals, the san miguelitos and the mestizos.
This town’s identity is clearly present in the main square, in the wooden handicrafts designed for the dances, in the fantastical and elaborate wax sculptures used as offerings to St Michael Archangel, or in the Totonaca clothing with the quexquémetl carefully worked by the hands of locals. Witnessing this event is something visitors will never forget.
Iglesia De San Miguel Arcángel, Zozocolco de Hidalgo, Ver., México
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