Santa Muerte ( Lady of the Dead)
November 1, 2022. Tepito, Mexico City
Chiquitibum a la bim bom ba,
Chiquitibum a la bim bom ba,
A la bio, a la bao, a la bim bom ba,
La Santa La Santa rah rah rah..
Se ve, se siente, La Santa está presente…
The lyric above is a hymn that widely heard in Tepito, Mexico City on “Santa Muerte” day. When there is a trigger to give the signal, the hymn continues to be voiced as an accompaniment of the pilgrimage walking towards the altar and crawling. “Dark Tourist” documentary movie in Netflix attracted me to come and experience this festivity. In early November, dozens of people gather at the hearth of Tepito for honoring Santa Muerte ( Lady of the Dead)
Men and women of all ages walk, holding the Statue of La Santa Muerte in their arms, like newborn babies wrapped in colorful blankets or dresses. Some called her “my girl” or “my mother”. For others, it’s just “La Santa”.
The pilgrimage make offerings and they gave each other fruits, sweets, chocolates, cigarettes, tamales, and so forth. Also sprayed air fresheners, poured mescal drinks, and breathed cigarette smoke or weed into the Santa Muerte statue. The vibe is very friendly and welcomes everyone who comes.
They believe that Santa Muerte is a protector for them in living their lives. If you get into a lot of trouble, there is no way out but to continue to believe in it.
