La Flor de Nochebuena

The cuetlaxochitl, a plant whose leaves turn bright red, is native to Mexico. Moctezuma cultivated it, and for the Aztecs it symbolized the "new life" of those who died in battle or were sacrificed. Its leaves turn a beautiful bright red in December and so the missionary friars used it to decorate their Nativity scenes, and it came to be called the Flor de Nochebuena (Christmas Eve Flower). Its botanical name is euphorbia pulcherrima (you Latin scholars know this means "most beautiful"). The first U.S. ambassador to Mexico (1825 - 1829), Dr Joel Poinset, imported it to the U.S. and it came to be known as the poinsettia.

In the weeks before Christmas these beautiful plants embellish the city. They ring the Alameda and form a carpet along the museum area of the Reforma. Here's a poinsettia "tree" at the Monumento a la Revolucion.



Over 8.5 million poinsettias are sold in Mexico in the weeks before Christmas; I assume that number doesn't include plants exported. The chinampas of Xochimilco are especially suitable areas for the cultivation of Nochebuenas; we bought ours at a display along the Reforma. Instead of a Christmas tree, we have a dozen poinsettias, a piñata, and a couple of nacimientos (Nativity scenes); it seems more appropriate somehow this year.

Ice Skating in the Zócalo!

No, I haven't missed cold weather enough to imagine an ice rink in the heart of Mexico City! Instead, the government of the Distrito Federal has constructed a 3200 square meter open-air rink in the Zócalo, another one in the Alameda Sur and a third in the Bosque de San Juan de Aragón as part of the Invierno en la Capital 2007 (Winter in the Capital) events. Skates and skating are free of charge to 1000 skaters at a time who skate for 45 minutes; 500 spectators can watch from risers. How are they going to keep all this ice from melting? And did they import Zambonis? The temperature was 55 when we left for our bike ride this morning; it's maybe 85 right now - hot enough to wilt the poinsettias in our windows.

To get into the rink, people get color-coded bracelets at a taquilla (ticket booth)that faces a sculpture depicting the Aztecs founding their capital Tenochtitlan on this site.
They had been a nomadic tribe, probably originating north of the Rio Grande, and their founding legend says they should keep wandering until they saw an eagle perched on a cactus, devouring a snake. Sign spotted, they settled on a island in Lake Texcoco (long since dried up) and built a temple on that very site in 1325.

In the 1500's, the Spanish used stones from the temple to build their cathedral and pave the plaza in front of it, now known as the Zócalo.

It's a huge space, measuring 200 meters on each side. Open, but never empty, it's the scene of ever-changing, kaleidoscopic images of Mexico City.


Here's a list of some of the things we've observed in the Zócalo over the last three months: markets, vendors, shamans, Aztec dancers,
Independence Day fireworks, huge crowds of people, a coffee fair, a book fair, an enormous ofrenda for Día de Muertos, gigantic seasonal decorations on the surrounding buildings, protests, police in riot gear, parachuters landing, the finish line of the Mexico City Marathon, and now an ice rink! Bill just got back from his second attempt at skating today; he couldn't get near the rink and reports crowds as big as for Independence Day festivities.