Michoacán, is a place that many people in Wilmington have a connection to. I have decided to talk a little about the P’urépecha culture that we share. (P’urépecha natives are also known as Tarascan, which is the name given to them by the Spanish.)

One of the traditions many of us know about is the Danza del Viejito. In Wilmington Elementary School, I actually learned and performed this dance, and I still have the costume. 

There are three theories that explain the origins of this danza: 

The First: To Mock the Spanish. The masks are made to look European and old, with pink faces and white hair. It is said that the natives thought the Europeans acted old. So they did this dance as a way to make fun of the Spaniards without the Spaniards knowing. It was a form of resistance: Although they were subject to a conquest, they would not be conquered.  

The Second: This dance is a way for the youth to show respect towards the elderly. Performed in a humorous way, younger folk imitate the movements of the elderly and use a cane as a way of honoring the lives of their ancestors.  

   
The Third: Some say that it dates back to an Olmec worship of Huehuetéotl, the “Ancient God”. The ribbons on the hat are said to represent sun rays, and the cane, a sowing stick. The tapping represents the sound of rain on the ground.

The Dance is done in Mexico during the Dia De los Muertos events, but it is done in the US during Cinco de Mayo.