Visitors from Mexico and around the world stood for hours in a line that stretched for blocks to see a spectacle that the city of Oaxaca has hosted for more than 120 years.
The attraction? Radishes.
Every December 23, the southern Mexican city, celebrated for its vibrant culture, cuisine and history, comes to a near standstill for a simple vegetable typically served in soups, on salads and with tacos.
But instead of eating the radishes, the crowds gather for the annual Noche de Rábanos competition (the Night of the Radishes), where locals transform the root vegetable into extravagant works of art.
This year there were Nativity scenes, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) displays, depictions of indigenous mythology and much more.
“The material is so fun,” said María de los Angeles Aragón García, 21, a local visual arts student who competed for the first time with two friends. “It reminds me of my childhood when they said: ‘Don’t play with your food.’ But here they say, ‘Sculpt something with your food.’”
Mexico bursts with vibrant traditions, yet few are as enchanting as this one in Oaxaca. What began as local vendors decorating their fish and vegetable stands at a Christmas market in the city centre evolved into a contest back in 1897. The radish became the official medium because it was abundant and easy to mould.
“It’s part of our idiosyncrasy and our economic reality,” said Francisco Martínez Neri, Oaxaca’s mayor.
Although Oaxaca has expanded from a farming town into a city with a metropolitan population of 8,00,000, its residents have kept the custom alive. A state decree protects the yearly event, and the city provides the radishes — 12 tonnes this year — free to the participants.
There are two different varieties of radishes for contestants to use, including one that grows up to seven pounds. (No, these aren’t supposed to be eaten, city officials said, because of the insecticides used to grow them.)
Some Oaxacan families have been competing for decades, passing down the craft and their carving tips from one generation to the next.
“In the beginning, you want to win because there is a prize,” said José Domingo Luría Aquino, 44, a local artist and sculptor. In the traditional radish category this year, first place won about $1,500, with cash awards extending to 20th place.
“But with time,” Luría Aquino continued, “you do it because of tradition, and it’s why we’ve instilled it in our children”.
Luría Aquino met his wife, Ileana, 39, at the contest 18 years ago, and they have competed almost every year since.
The night before the event, the entire family — including their children Fernando, 14; Sofia, 11; and Alejandro, 5, — gathered in the garage of a studio to carve radishes for their display. Their entry depicted the traditional Flor de Piña (Flower of Pineapple) dance in which Oaxacan women wear radiant outfits while holding the fruit on their shoulders.
Not all families competing, though, have professional artists leading the charge.
The winner in the traditional radish category this year was Carlos David Vásquez López, a 19-year-old communications student who was home in Oaxaca from college in Chicago for the winter break.
The winner in the traditional radish category was Carlos David Vásquez López, a 19-year-old student who was home from college in Chicago for the winter break.
His father, 50, is a pastor and his mother, 47, is a midwife, yet the family has won first place several times over the decades.
New York Times News Service