Jocotepec is winding up for two straight weeks of fervent festivity starting Tuesday, January 7 as the townspeople renew their reverence for spiritual patron El Señor del Monte (The Lord of the Mount).
The dates of the fiestas patronales change from year to year so that final day invariably falls on third Sunday in January. Day one revolves around the solemn Juramento, a collective renovation of vows of faith dedicated to the Crucified Christ as represented by the figure of the Señor del Monte. Devotion to the figure stems from answered prayers following lethal outbreaks of cholera that hit the town in 1833 and 1850, and the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918.
Most days of the celebration are marked by religious marches around town starting at 6 p.m., except for the final day – falling this year on January 19--when the beloved patron is lowered from the altar at 4 p.m. for a huge procession that draws most everyone in town as well of hundreds of pilgrims from other parts.
Night time brings out the secular side of the traditional spree as folks congregate at the main plaza to enjoy live music and mechanical rides. Throngs cram shoulder to shoulder inside the church atrium around 10 p.m. to watch spectacular standing firework displays that truly fit the commonly used term castillo (castle). Throughout day and evening hours people wander through the bustling street fair wrapped around at the center of town to devour typical food and drink and stock up on miscellaneous merchandise.