page_title: Carnival of Huejotzingo
section_title: The battalions
hierarchical_section_title: Carnival of Huejotzingo / The battalions
caption_attribution_description: English: Zuave with rifle at the Carnival of Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico
context_page_description: Carnival of Huejotzingo is one of Mexico's carnivals, which takes place in the Huejotzingo municipality in the state of Puebla.
  It is noted for its unique traditions which center on the reenactment of stories related to the municipality's history as well as the use of tons of gunpowder used in handcarved muskets in mock battles and other events. The carnival involves the participation of 12,000 residents in costume, most of which are dressed in outfits related to elements of the armies that fought in the Battle of Puebla. Mock battles related to this event are reenacted as well as a Romeo and Juliet story and the first Catholic wedding and baptism in Mexico.
context_section_description: Each year there are about 12,000 costumed participants. Most of these belong to one of the seventeen battalions which represent of all of the municipality's major communities as well as the original four neighborhoods of the town of Huejotzingo. These battalions have between 100 and 800 people, who carry hand carved muskets and leather masks. Each battalion has its own live band and several general.
  In 2013, the first women generals were elevated with Rosa María Castillo for the Zacapoaxtlas, Adriana Arroyo for the Zapadores, María de los Angeles Mendez and Maria Lomeli for the Indios and Fatima Bernaba for the Turcos. The muskets are for mock battles and other celebrating. They are used to set off real gunpowder but no bullets. Black gunpowder is used which is the most powerful and easy to ignite. The masks are handmade and include a beard. It is said that the hair for the beards used to be real human hair, often donated by female family members.
  All soldier participants spend the four days in mock battles representing the Mexican side or the invading French army. When not fighting, they visit graves of former battalion members  in the morning, hold a mass parade at midday and petition homes and businesses for their main meal in the mid afternoon. This last tradition harkens back to the payment of tribute in the pre Hispanic era. Costumes of the soldiers vary, valuing anywhere from 7,000 to over 30,000 pesos depending on the materials and complexity.
  The seventeen battalions are further divided into five types of soldier-participants, based on costume style. These are called Zacapoaxtlas, Indios, Zapadores, Zuavos and Turks. The French imperial army consists of the Zuavos, Turcos and Zapadores. The Mexican army is mostly represented by the Indios Serranos and the Zacapoaxtlas.
  The Zacapoaxtlas stand out because they have the most elaborate and costly costumes. They dress as charros, which suits heavily decorated in sequins, a wig with the colors of the Mexican flag and a black cape. Representing the troops of General Zaragoza in the Battle of Puebla, they wear green, white and red paper streamers that hang off the back of their hats. Their suits are elaborated embroidered and sequined which has been hand done. These outfits have been valued at about 30,000 and sometimes as high as 50,000 pesos.
  The other main group is called “Indios Serranos” (Mountain Indians) or “Inditos” (Little Indians). They represent Huejotzingo's indigenous past but their costumes are a fusion of both indigenous and European influences. Their hats are traditionally made from palm fronds (although many now are made with a kind of plastic strip)  which have the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patroness of Mexico. They also carry an animal skin, preferably that of a cacomixtle in honor of the indigenous goddess Camaxtli, who was the patron of the region. Unlike the other groups, their masks are colored with an ochre tint.
  The “Franceses” (French) or “Zuavos” represent a group of elite French troops at the Battle of Puebla, noted for their cruelty. They wear a blue cap decorated with stones, gold ribbons, sequined belts, leather masks, dark glasses and royal blue capes. They carry wooden boxes on their backs underneath which are the flags of France and Mexico. In the box there are soldiers’ provisions such as French bread, although many today put commercial sandwich bread in its place.
  The “Zapadores” are those who represent those of the elite classes in Mexican society.  They are dressed as the imperial guard of Maximilian I and some as the personal guard of Mexico's first emperor Agustín de Iturbide. Their outfits mix the national colors of both Mexico and France. They wear Spanish colonial style helmets made of black leather with the crest of Agustín de Iturbide, in remembrance of Mexico's independence. For similar reasons, they also wear ribbons of green, white and red of Mexico's current flag. These are the soldiers who protect the corregidor's daughter during the reenactment of her abduction.
  The “Turcos” (Turks) are in reference to the M
caption: Zuavo
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