The Griteria in Leon

Being a Catholic country, the Virgin Mary is a significant figure and a great excuse for a party. She is celebrated throughout Nicaragua, but particularly in Leon, on 8th December. We're not sure why it's this date but we joined in anyway. Following on from more sombre and religious celebrations of the Purissima on the 7th, the Griteria is mainly concerned with noisy fireworks, free sweets, garish shrines to the Virgin Mary in full view in people's homes and lots of partying. The key question to learn if you want sweets is, 'Quien causa tanta alegria? '(Who causes so much joy?). The answer from the Catholics along with a handful of sweets is, 'La Virgen Maria!' There are also a few songs if you want even more sweets but we didn't manage to learn those. Some of the sweety stations were quite hard work, battling against local professionals with backpacks laden with free sweet treats.

People were letting fireworks off all over the place, but the main display was in Leon's central square next to the cathedral. As usual, safety precautions were left to your own judgement. In a gloriously Latin American disregard for public safety, men ran through the crowd carrying wooden bull shaped frames above their heads from which fireworks flew randomly in all directions causing spectators to squeal and run for cover. The bright lights in the photo are the firework bulls.

There was no cordoned-off area as local men lit rockets with cigarettes and launched them from their hands.

To finish off the firework display, a dubious piece of corporate sponsorship came alight, 'Long live the Virgin Coca Cola'