In keeping with long-held Easter season customs, faithful Roman Catholics across Mexico will dedicate Friday, March 30 to the La Virgen de Dolores (Virgin of Sorrows). Many devout families will set up memorial altars filled with design elements reflecting the sufferings and sacrifices of the mother of Christ. Others will take evening strolls through their neighborhoods to view the shrines, symbolically sharing the Virgin’s pain as they sip liquid refreshments representing her tears.
Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows) is observed on the sixth Friday of Lent, a prelude to the religious observances of Holy Week. The tradition of mounting the Altar de Dolores is still commonly practiced in many small communities, including towns in the Lake Chapala region. In urban settings nowadays the most elaborate renditions are more often seen in cultural institutions rather than in home settings.
Regardless of the venue, each shrine is a unique interpretation of Mother Mary’s bittersweet life experience and mankind’s hope for redemption and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. A statue or picture of La Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Mother) – shown dressed in mourning garb with a grief-stricken visage – and a cross invariably appear as the focal points.
A decorative background may be created with cloth drapes or strips of intricate handmade tissue paper cutouts known as papel picado. The usual colors of choice are deep purple, symbolizing mourning, and white, for purity. The displays are often illuminated with numerous devotional candles, a practice that spawned to the moniker incendios (fires) as an alternate term of reference.Natural elements featured on the altar include fresh flowers, especially red blossoms symbolizing the blood of Christ, and various types of greenery. Pine boughs or other kinds of tree branches represent the Mount of Olives. Newly sprouted plants – corn, barley, wheat, alfalfa or chia, grown from seeds blessed and planted on Candlemas (February 2) – are symbolic of rebirth. Bitter oranges or grapefruit stand for the sweet and sour aspects of Mary’s life. Copal incense and aromatic herbs such as chamomile and rosemary suggest the treatment of corpses in Biblical times.
Objects associated with the Passion of Christ that may appear include a crown of thorns, a lash, a ladder, a vinegar-soaked sponge and nails. A cage containing a mourning dove may be added as a source of soulful birdsong reflecting the hurt of a mother’s broken heart, while a live rooster represents the crowing that accompanied the denials of the Apostle Peter. A mirror may be placed to reflect the human soul.
Making the rounds to different households where the altars are displayed is an essential part of the Viernes de Dolores tradition. Visitors announce their arrival with a question to the host: “¿Ya lloró la Virgen?” (Has the Virgin cried yet?), they ask. This is the accepted way of requesting a glass of agua fresca, a refreshing beverage symbolizing the Virgin’s tears. Underscoring again the bittersweet nature of the Dolores celebration, jamaica flowers, lime juice with chia seeds or other tangy seasonal fruits are typical flavoring ingredients.
Historians trace devotions dedicated to La Dolorosa back to Europe in the Middle Ages. Missionary friars introduced the practice to Mexico in the 16th century, originally confined within their churches. The custom was gradually adapted as intimate family observances that eventually evolved into popular celebrations with social as well as spiritual overtones enjoyed both in private homes and more public settings.
In failed attempts to curtail the all-night boozing, dancing and carousing that had come to characterize Viernes de Dolores festivities in Guadalajara, the city’s bishops issued bans on the celebration three times between 1754 and 1850. The tradition began fading among Tapatio families in the latter half of the 20th century due to political factors and the changing social dynamics of a burgeoning urban population. In recent years, however, the great artistry of Altar de Dolores displays has been revived by the metro area’s leading cultural institutions, most notably the Museo Regional, located at Calle Liceo 60 near the Guadalajara Cathedral.
Viernes de Dolores traditions have likewise rebounded among Catholic families in Chapala, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic and San Juan Cosala.
Expatriate residents who explore village streets after dark that night to view the shrines can expect to a cordial welcome from local families, along with a taste of the Virgin’s tears.