Watch: Mexico mayor marries alligator-like reptile as part of tradition

The caiman, dressed like a true bride, was carried through the town as people danced

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Trends Desk

Published: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 11:18 AM

A mayor in Oaxaca, Mexico, got married to a caiman, an alligator-like animal, as part of an age-old tradition, which is believed to bring prosperity. With the reptile dressed as a bride, the wedding took place in the presence of several guests in the small town of San Pedro Huamelula, according to Sky News.

Victor Hugo Sosa tied the knot with a female caiman named Alicia Adriana. As per the ritual, the mayor represented the Chontal King while the reptile symbolised a Huave princess, the report added.

Such a marriage, which reflects the union of two communities, has been taking place for 230 years in the southern Mexico town. It is held to commemorate the day when peace was established between the Chontal and Huave groups, according to the report.

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In a video of the wedding ceremony, shared on Twitter, the mayor carries the caiman in his arms through the town as people dance and enjoy music. The reptile is seen wearing colourful traditional clothes with its snout tied shut.

According to Daily Mail, the caiman and the mayor later wore white dresses and Victor Hugo Sosa kissed his bride at their wedding. “I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important. You can't have a marriage without love... I yield to marriage with the princess girl,” Sosa said during the marriage ceremony as reported by The Daily Mail.

A fisherman also throws his net and hopes that the marriage brings good fishing, prosperity, and peace, the report added.

It is believed that once, a Chontal King’s marriage to a princess girl of the Huave community helped bring the two groups closer. Jaime Zarate, the chronicler of San Pedro Huamelula, said the wedding allows the communities to “link with what is the emblem of Mother Earth, asking the all-powerful for rain, the germination of the seed, all those things that are peace and harmony for the Chontal man”.

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Trends Desk

Published: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 11:18 AM

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