The parish San José de los Manduriacos, in which Chontal is one of 13 communities, was only about 6 years old, and for the first time, it had a communal celebration on Christmas Day. There was a need for support for the celebration, which included a Mass, a program including Christmas performances, and food. Having about $200 extra from the fundraiser “Hit me over the wall!”, I offered to pay for one of the two pigs that were needed for the food. It helped to make the celebration worthwhile, as it freed up families to not have to prepare a meal at home, and so to come.
Pork is a principal food at fiestas, as the primary large animal meat. There wouldn’t be beef, as cattle are not used for beef in this region. (In fact, when cows and bulls are no longer useful, they are sold and packed into trucks to be taken to Quito, where they may be used for beef.)
I never got a picture of the actual “Christmas pig”, but I’m including some pig pictures here for your enjoyment.
Just an example of some pigs - it’s the pigs who pay the price for the fiestas!
