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41-652: The Niñopa is the most venerated of Xochimilco’s various important Child Jesus images which include the Niño Dormidito, the Niño de Belén, the Niño Tamalerito, the Niño Grande and the Niño de San Juan. The image dates from 1573 and has since been in the possession of the town of Xochimilco. The image is fifty-one cm tall and weighs 598 grams. It was designed to be placed seated or lying down. Its right hand

82-500: A tuna is a group of university students in traditional university dress who play traditional instruments and sing serenades . The tradition originated in Spain and Portugal in the 13th century as a means of students to earn money or food. Nowadays students don't belong to a "tuna" for money or food; rather, they seek to keep a tradition alive, for fun, to travel a lot and to meet new people from other universities. A senior member of

123-548: A commission). Worthy edifices are catalogued in the Registro Público de Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicos e Históricos (Public Register of Archeological and Historic Monuments and Zones). Currently, the INAH carries out its work through a Technical Secretariat which supervises the performance of its main duties and whose tasks are distributed among its seven National Coordination Offices and 31 Regional Centers throughout

164-589: A few coins in the eating-houses, convents , streets and squares . In 1964, in Eindhoven , a number of students at the Eindhoven University of Technology came up with a new hazing prank: they had some incoming freshmen learn some Spanish songs and serenade a society lady in Eindhoven (possibly the lady in question was Mrs. Tromp, wife of the then-director of Philips ). The serenading group

205-639: A nod to Henry the Navigator ), Minho (which is more like the Spanish tunas' clothing described above) and Madeira (somewhat similar to Minho's). As far as the music is concerned, there are two basic instruments. One is the guitar which comes with the tuno and his melody. The melody is created by voices and singing. Musical instruments like laúd and bandurria are also used. (Portuguese tunas usually play instruments like mandolin instead of bandurria and laúd). The other important instrument which characterized

246-491: A tuna is a "tunante", but is usually known simply as a "tuno". The word "tuno" also refers to anyone who is a member of a tuna, although the first meaning is more common among tunas. New tuna members are known as "caloiros", "novatos" or "pardillos." The name tuna may come from French roi de Thunes , [ king of Tunis ], a title used by leaders of vagabonds. But there is also a legend of a real King of Tunis, known for his love to music and party that usually liked to walk around

287-586: Is a Mexican federal government bureau established in 1939 to guarantee the research, preservation, protection, and promotion of the prehistoric, archaeological , anthropological , historical , and paleontological heritage of Mexico . Its creation has played a key role in preserving the Mexican cultural heritage. Its current national headquarters are housed in the Palace of the Marqués del Apartado . INAH and

328-483: Is raised as an act of benediction. It has light brown eyes of crystal with black eyelashes. Its nose is small and rounded. The ears are also small but not well defined. The mouth is slightly open as if about to speak, with the upper lip a more intense red than the lower. The skin is white and somewhat pink. As the image is over 430 years old, it must be handled with care to keep it from deteriorating. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) has recommended that

369-470: Is that the image represents the life that God gives and the purpose is to take care of this life. While there are festivities around the image almost every day of the year, some are private and some public. The most important include Las Posadas (December 16–24), Three King’s Day (January 6), Candlemas (February 2) and Day of the Child (April 30) . The most important of these is February 2, Candlemas, when

410-549: Is that toys are often strewn about, laughter is heard from the image’s room, the image has dirty clothes in the morning and small footprints have been found in the yard of the house in which it is cared for. It is said that the color in his cheeks disappears when he is angry and is more red when his is happy. He is even said to smile more. It is also claimed that the Niñopa travels into the dreams of petitioners, especially sick children. Most stories revolve around miracles attributed to

451-484: Is venerated. It is possible that the image belonged to the last indigenous ruler of Xochimilco Martín Cortés de Alvarado as his will states that he left several Child Jesus images to the town including one that fits the description of the Niñopa. The second is that the infant Jesus is figured prominently in various oil paintings on the altarpieces from the 16th and 17th centuries in the San Bernardino church and in

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492-513: The Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura are tasked with cataloging and protecting monuments and buildings regarded as cultural patrimony. INAH is entrusted with 'archaeological' (pre-Hispanic and paleontological) and 'historical' (post-Conquest 16th to 19th centuries) structures, zones and remnants, while INBAL is entrusted with 'artistic' buildings and monuments (properties that are of significant aesthetic value as deemed by

533-453: The states of the Mexico. This bureau is responsible for the over 110,000 historical monuments, built between the 16th and 19th centuries, and for 29,000 of Mexico's estimated 200,000 pre-Columbian archeological zones found throughout the country. One hundred and fifty of the archeological sites are open to the public. The INAH also supervises over a hundred museums. These are found across

574-558: The Las Posadas, the Niñopa leaves the house of the mayordomo each day to a different Xochimilco neighborhood, accompanied by an image of the Virgin Mary, Chinelos , music and many followers. It goes to the designated house, owned by the “posadero.” The house and the surrounded street are elaborately decorated with paper ornaments, lamps, flowers and Christmas gifts. Hundreds of people attend to sing and otherwise take part. At noon,

615-594: The Niñopa is laid in a manger to sleep in the San Bernardino parish. Because of its age and the uncertainty of its origin, there have been a number of stories surrounding the image. One of the disproven ones include that there is a pre Hispanic image inside and the image is not original. The last stems from a story that the original Niñopa was lost in a canal in the San Antonio Molotlan neighborhood in 1940. Its origin from Spain and orange tree wood

656-472: The San Bernardino monastery. Bernardino de Sahagún wrote that the indigenous of the Xochimilco area made offerings of corn to a child image of the god Huitzilopochtli on December 26. The Franciscans who evangelized the region also made note of this tradition. The evangelists created Child Jesus images to substitute for this tradition, including the Niñopa. There are two possible reasons why this image

697-737: The Town/People). Others state that the real name is “Niñopan” and that “Niñopa” is a mistaken interpretation to mean “Niño Patron” (as in patron saint, which it is not) or Niño Padre, but the image represents the Son of God , not God the Father . Another name for the Niñopa is the Niño Consentido (Well-Cared-For Child). The story of its origin was that it was brought from Valencia , Spain, by Martin Cortés , arriving in Xochimilco in 1586, made of

738-660: The Tuna is derived from that of Iberian students of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is called a grillo in Spanish (meaning "cricket") or traje in Portuguese (meaning "clothing", in a traditional sense) and consists of a cloak , doublet , beca , shirt , stockings , baggy trousers or gregüescos and shoes or boots . In theory, these cloaks (or "capas" in Portuguese and Spanish) could be used to evade getting caught busking by police, which in Medieval Portugal,

779-413: The bishop takes the Niñopa from the outgoing mayordomos and transfers it to the new ones. Everyone at the event is fed traditional food such as mole, rice, pork and tamales. This ceremony is also associated with the blessing of seeds for good harvests as well as the blessing of candles to be lit in case of illness or death the duality of life and death, a pre Hispanic element. Candlemas marks the beginning of

820-593: The country and are categorized according to the extension and quality of their collections, geographical locations, and number of visitors. Over 500 Teotihuacan murals are in storage at the INAH. The INAH recognises its most famous researchers with the emeritus degree. As of 2009, only 16 individuals have been named emeritus researchers: 19°24′28″N 99°10′05″W  /  19.40778°N 99.16806°W  / 19.40778; -99.16806 Tuna (music) In Spain , Portugal and Latin American countries,

861-558: The crop was destined for festivities for the image. Without money, he asked the image’s forgiveness and arranged for various masses in the Niñopa’s honor. After this, the damaged lilies began to grow again. 19°15′46.8″N 99°6′7.44″W  /  19.263000°N 99.1020667°W  / 19.263000; -99.1020667 Instituto Nacional de Antropolog%C3%ADa e Historia The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia ( INAH , National Institute of Anthropology and History )

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902-549: The event. The image receives gifts year round but especially on Three Kings’ Day on January 6 and on the International Day of the Child on April 30. Most of these gifts are later distributed among children from poor families. On April 30, the festivities occur at the house of the mayordomo, who offers food to guests. Visitors leave offerings of toys, flowers and fruit. In the streets, the mayordomos also place various castillos with fireworks and amusement rides. During

943-429: The former monastery of Santa María Tepepan . The traditions surrounding the image have not changed much in the over 400 years even though Xochimilco has transformed from a rural area to an urban one. As it is associated with popular religious expression and because of this, it does not reside in a church but rather with a family. It is part of popular religious expression and not official Church doctrine. Because of this,

984-517: The growing season for the chinampas of Xochimilco. The ceremony includes baskets of seeds such as corn, beans, lentils , wheat and more. While agriculture is no longer the main economic activity, these seeds represent abundance. Because of the large quantity of clothes and other items, it takes up to two trucks to move the image from one house to another. 2011 was the first time that the Archbishop of Mexico ( Norberto Rivera Carrera ) participated in

1025-401: The image be dressed only in light clothing with no metal such as zippers or hooks in order to conserve the surface. They also recommend that all photographs be taken without flash and without kissing the image directly, only the clothing. The image has been called by several variations of the name including “Niñopa,” “Niño-pa” and “Niñopan.” According to the municipal historian, Rodolfo Cordero,

1066-403: The image does not reside in a church but rather in the home of a family. He is “laid down to sleep” each night in a basket made for him, in his underclothes and wrapped in a blanket. Each morning, he is “awoken” to Las Mañanitas before he is dressed. Each evening it attends Mass before heading back to the home of the mayordomo. Since 1995, the image has been taken once a year for a “check up” with

1107-401: The image extends past 2040 and families have waited as much as fifty years. If the person on the waiting list dies beforehand, the privilege is inherited by another member of the family. Families who have hosted the image receive a life-sized copy. In addition to the care of the physical image, the mayordomo is in charge for the many festivities and traditions that surround it. Almost every day,

1148-483: The image leaves to attend Mass and to visit families, the sick and hospitals. This is done with fanfare, accompanied by musicians, Chinelo dancers, mariachis, tunas called “estudiantinas” in Mexico, fireworks, traditional foods such as mole, mixiote and various types tamales and more. This is even the case when the image is taken for its yearly “check up,” brought to INAH in Coyoacán from Xochimilco. The reason for this

1189-408: The image. These include curing disease, bringing peace to fighting families, helping with finances, finding work and more. The Niñopa has received penitents from other countries as well, including a woman from the U.S. who claimed to have been cured of terminal cancer after seeing the image on television. One story states that a mayordomo planted lilies which were destroyed by a hailstorm. The money from

1230-699: The ladies they wished to court. From its origins to the present day, from and through of the Tunas have continued the cultivation of popular instruments such as the bandurria , lute , guitar and tambourine , instruments which are named in the Spanish book Libro del Buen Amor by Juan Ruiz (c. 1283 - c. 1350). For these occupations, they took their guitars and bandurrias and sang popular songs. The tunos or sopistas also showed abilities for music, and in courting ladies that they had been wooing to. The sopistas were poor students that with their music, friendly personality and craftiness scoured for cheap eats for

1271-482: The mayordomo family of the image changes for the year. This events draws thousands of spectators, many carrying photos and posters of the Niñopa, from both Xochimilco and outside. The crowd was estimated at 4,000 in 2007. The festivities on February 2 is part of a tradition where families take their images of the Child Jesus to church, especially dressed for the occasion, to be blessed. After the mass for Candlemas,

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1312-481: The name is “Niño-pa” and derives from “niño” (child) and a shortening of “padre” (father) to “pa” with a meaning of Father Child. The alternative “Niñopan” is the Spanish niño (child) with the Nahuatl “pan” (place) meaning “child of the place.” The historian notes that the denotation of “Niñopan” has grown in popularity, surpassing “Niñopa”. Other names include Niño Peregrino (Pilgrim Child) and Niño del Pueblo (Child of

1353-438: The posadero and the rest of the procession accompany the Niñopa to church. After they return there is more singing, music, Chinelos and food. There are no social class distinctions at this event and no alcohol is served. A fireworks frame called a “castillo” (castle) is burned and at the end of the day, dozens of piñatas are broken and a dance begins for the evening. This repeats each day of the Las Posadas until December 24, when

1394-457: The streets at night playing and singing. That explains why the term roi de Thunes was applied. In the old times (medieval days) the Sopistas (a sarcastic title meaning soup beggars ) would use their musical talents to entertain people in exchange for a coin and a bowl of soup ( sopa , in Portuguese and Spanish, hence the name sopistas ). They would also play their music under the windows of

1435-472: The student music was the tambourine . Besides these basic instruments, the use of others instruments gives the tuno's music a very special richness. These elements were blended thanks to the different cultures and people where tunos perform. Among the distinguished instruments are the timple canario and charango . It uses, moreover, the Puerto Rican cuatro , accordion and double bass to increase

1476-465: The wood of an orange tree. Before he died, Cortés gifted his Child Jesus images, making each recipient mayordomos. When one of these died, who was Martín Cerón de Alvarado (grandson of Hernán Cortés ), a chest in Michoacán was opened to find the Niñopa, which still smelled of oranges. In reality, it was created in Xochimilco from a local wood most likely by an indigenous craftsman in the workshops of

1517-410: The “pediatrician,” which is annual examination, including X-ray and maintenance work done by INAH. The image is hosted by a sponsor or “mayordomo” each year in the family home, often in a room built especially for the purpose. This area is open to the public with all free to come and go. It is believed that those who become a mayordomo of the image receive blessings and prosperity. The waiting list to host

1558-488: Was a hit and in 1964 the students founded Tuna Ciudad de Luz ( Tuna of the City of Light , in reference to the importance of Philips Lighting to Eindhoven). Starting in 1965 Tuna Ciudad de Luz was invited to Madrid regularly for certamenes by several Spanish tunas; in order to return the favor, Ciudad de Luz, together with the female tuna "la Tuniña", started inviting the Spanish tunas to Eindhoven in 1986 (their 1986 certamen

1599-454: Was disproven in the 1970s, when the image was dropped and a finger broke. This allowed examination of the wood, which was determined of a tree locally called “chocolín” and made at the workshops of the San Bernardino de Siena monastery in the 16th or 17th century. One persistent story is that the image comes to life. Many of these revolve around the image playing with its toys at night and even wandering outside. Evidence for this, say believers,

1640-470: Was frowned upon. Que cada cinta que adorna mi capa ( Every ribbon that decorates my cloak ) Guarda un trocito de corazón. ( keeps a piece of heart. ) This applies to Spanish tunas. Portuguese tunas have more standard trajes : black trousers, jacket, cape and shoes, white shirt and black tie. Exceptions are the traje from the Universities of Algarve (blue instead of black and with a distinct hat,

1681-989: Was the first ever held outside Spain). Since then the tuna tradition has spread to several other universities in the Netherlands. There are currently five tunas in the Netherlands: Tuna Ciudad de Luz in Eindhoven, Tuna de la Ciudad Jarrera in Tilburg , Tuna Universitaria de Maastricht in Maastricht , Cuarentuna de Holanda (former students of Ciudad de Luz) and Tuna Veterana de La Haya (former student in The Hague ). There are also three tunas for female students: La Tuniña in Eindhoven, Tuna Femenina de Maastricht in Maastricht , and Tuna Femenina Universitaria de Leiden in Leiden . The clothing of

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