In a ritual ceremony that dates to pre-Hispanic times, the mayor kissed and danced with the 7-year-old reptile — who was dressed in a white bridal dress — as a prayer for nature’s bounty.
The alligator, with its mouth bound shut, is believed to be a deity representing mother earth. The marriage symbolizes the connection between humans and the divine.
Sosa, mayor of the small fishing village on Oaxaca’s steamy Pacific coast said:
We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river.
Elia Edith Aguilar, known as the godmother of the alligator who organized the wedding, informed the press that she spent a lot of time carefully picking garments for the alligator to wear for the ceremony.
It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots. It’s a very beautiful tradition.
