Feast of Saint Peter the Apostle, Guatire, Miranda-Venezuela
The story goes that in colonial times, when slavery still existed, there was a slave called Maria Ignacia who had her baby Rosa Ignacia very sick, and the healers or any remedy to lower the fever that the girl had, she made a request to St. Peter to improve that disease, and in return she made a promise that if Rosa Ignacia was cured she would dance every June 29 (St. Peter's Day) throughout the streets of the town. I think it was like a way of announcing the miracle that had happened so that people would believe that if there really is a good God and she wanted everyone to know it. So it happened, the girl recovered and Maria Ignacia from there began to fulfill her promise. Little by little other friends of hers joined the celebration and sang songs in honor of the saint. With time Maria Ignacia became ill so her husband decided to continue the tradition and put on a woman's dress and took the girl in his arms and along with his friends went through the streets of the town singing and dancing. Since then the tradition remained the same, a man dressed as a woman with a rag doll in his arms that symbolizes the girl Rosa Ignacia, goes out every June 29th to continue with the tradition of faith that is no longer only of a black slave but of a whole town and much more.
The black girl is accompanied by two children dressed in red and yellow, some historians say that they are the other children of the slave but others prefer to think that they represent the alliance made by the Liberal and Conservative political parties not to politicize the tradition ever.
Video I recorded in 2017 at the mass, the route and intonation of some verses
Hello friends, I love to talk about this tradition because I consider myself a part of it, I am one more promise who believes in God and his power, so every June 29 I attend the Mass of St. Peter to thank him for taking care of us and bless us with his protection, we are many who walk with him to ask for new things and implore him that our country will be free again and much better than it was before.
Here in the village are very organized and we have an institute of culture who is responsible for monitoring and ensuring that everything goes well that day, from June 1 acts are made in each of the fraternities of San Pedro (7) to celebrate the arrival of the month most expected by all. This year was a little different, as we all know that due to the pandemic it was not possible to hold rallies, so the decision was made to hold a mass on the radio stations and on a YouTube channel. Only one representation from each brotherhood attended the church to fulfill their sacred duty.
Family tradition
My family came to live in this town in 2005 when my son Fabián was going to be born, little by little we were getting to know people, making friends who told us a lot about this tradition, we also attended church and the parish priest invited us to organize ourselves to attend the religious acts prior to the central day. In the schools it was no different, my children were always involved in all the acts they did and they dressed them in the typical costumes of the parranda, so little by little we were getting involved and promoting culture in our family. I also remember that one day we went to an institution called CEA Centro de Educación Artística "Andrés Eloy Blanco" which trains children who want to be part of the children's parranda in San Pedro, my son Israel did not want to go into that because he said he was bothered by what was smeared on their faces but instead Fabián was part of it from that day on.
For us it was a reason for much joy and jubilation throughout the country when on December 5, 2013 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the "Parranda de San Pedro", a popular and religious tradition of Venezuela, as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That December there was one more reason to celebrate in our municipality, after so many efforts it was finally recognized by the whole world.
Although this year there was no party in the streets, mass was celebrated with much fervor and devotion in the Santa Cruz de Pacarigua Church, with only a few representatives from each brotherhood, the rest of us stayed in our homes to tune in and feel it with all our love through the radio and YouTube channels. I love this image that the Institute of Culture shared, because even the rag doll was protected against the virus, it's really funny.
I am very proud to belong to this beautiful people of Venezuela who took me in 15 years ago and now I feel at home. I am also very grateful to our friend @Zord189 who is in charge of organizing Hive Creative Contest | Festival Weekwhere he tests all our knowledge and brings out the most beautiful thing in our lives to expose it to many people on this platform and in front of the whole world.
