The city of San Pedro Huamelula, Mexico, maintains an unusual tradition: every year, the mayor of the place marries a female alligator.
According to the website “Quadratín Oaxaca”, this tradition has existed for over 200 years and it is believed that this union of man with nature brings good harvests for farmers and abundant fishing.
The British portal “The Telegraph” adds that the wedding between a man and the animal commemorates the day when two rival indigenous groups came together in peace through a wedding.
The legend says that frictions were overcome when a Chontal king, incarnated in modern times by the mayor, married a princess of the Huave indigenous group –represented by the female alligator.
This year, the mayor of the city, Víctor Hugo Sosa, married Alicia Adriana, the name given to the alligator, who is affectionately called princess by the residents.
In the video released by Quadratín, on Twitter, it is possible to see Sosa celebrating the ceremony with Adriana, in festive attire, passing through the hands of several residents.
To comply with one of the most ingrained customs in the town of San Pedro Huamelula #Oaxacathe mayor of the locality, Víctor Hugo Sosa, agreed to marry a live caterpillar and the ceremony was this summer.
📹Rusvel Torn pic.twitter.com/A8VnhIFt5q
— Quadratín Oaxaca (@Quadratinoaxaca) July 1, 2023
Later, Adriana was dressed in a white wedding dress, to celebrate the wedding with Sosa in the municipal palace. All the while, her mouth was tied so there wouldn’t be any accidents.
“I accept this responsibility because we love each other: that’s what matters, there can be no marriage if we don’t love each other. We love each other and I accept to marry the princess”, said the mayor.
“Today the president will lose the power to be president and customs will exceed him, the locals, the natives of Huamelula ask the Almighty or through the alligator, they ask God for the advent of rains, as we all know, the germination of seeds, of harvests in the fields, in the river, in the lagoons, in the seas”, says Jaime Zárate Escamilla, city chronicler for the Quadratín website.
At the end of the party, Adriana returned to a lake suitable for her needs and her care, to await next year’s ceremony.
This is not Sosa’s first marriage. In 2022, the Voice of America channel on YouTube published a video with images from the previous ceremony.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
