Las Fiestas against Displacement

Religious Celebrations as Socio-Territorial Resistance in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico

The pre-Hispanic city of Cholula was an important religious center for the cultures of Mesoamerica. The settlement under discussion was located in the territory that comprises the municipalities of San Andrés Cholula and San Pedro Cholula in the state of Puebla, within the Central Highlands of Mexico. It is claimed that in Cholula there are three hundred sixty-five churches, one for each day of the year. Despite the absence of empirical evidence, this legend…

Between Tulle and Tears

Ritual Practices of Bridal Fashion

What should I wear? This may be an everyday question, but it becomes even more sig-nificant on special occasions—particularly during rites of passage, such as weddings. Above all, the choice of a bridal gown is at the center of attention, which is also reflect-ed in diverse (social) media portrayals: guidebooks and fashion blogs offer advice on how to find the perfect wedding dress…

Ancient Roman Columns, Eagles, Sciences, and Other Representations

Centerpieces and the Ornamentation of the Early Modern European Festive Table Setting

Diachronically speaking, humans have adorned their dining tables with fascinating objects and ensembles for all sorts of reasons and on all sorts of occasions. This is especially the case when a grand celebration is involved, when a manifestation needs to take place, when one seeks to provide an intensely pleasurable experience for their guests, or even when appearances have to be kept within certain social and political circles. These reasons, and many more, can often be simultaneously ‘responsible’ for the decorative choices in a single feast: the further one looks back into European history, the more food and its consumption reflected one’s position in the…

Coffee, Cocaine, and Roller Coasters

The Making of Memory in Colombian Theme Parks

“Coffee, cocaine […] That’s what the tourists expect when they come [to Colombia],” offered Gabriel with a half-smile. A self-described hippie and lifelong resident of the region that hosts the Parque del Café, he has witnessed waves of tourists arrive in search of a country they thought they already knew: its rolling hillsides draped with coffee trees, the pastoral charm of campesino life, and the lingering, perfumed shadow of narcotic excess. One a celebrated patrimonial crop,…

Rethinking the Good Life

A Crip Critique of Hon Lai-chu’s Surrealist Short Stories

On July 1, 2022, President Xi inaugurated Hong Kong’s new Chief Executive, John Lee, marking the 25th anniversary of the territory’s return to Chinese rule. The handover was supposed to guarantee autonomy and civil liberties for 50 years, but critics argue these freedoms have diminished since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 following mass protests. In recent years, the city’s education curriculum has grown increasingly pro-China, and election laws were altered to exclude opposition lawmakers. ‘Development’ and ‘overcoming/restoration’ were the key themes of the day. In his keynote address, Xi spoke in detail about the social unrest of the preceding few years. “There is extensive consensus that no time should be lost in Hong Kong’s development and that all interference should be removed so that Hong Kong can stay focused on development,” Xi added. In remarks preceding Xi’s, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee named three significant protests between 2014 and 2019, and said that “the full support of central authorities” contributed to Hong Kong’s ability to overcome challenges. Lee added that the implementation of the National Security Law and electoral system changes were part of Hong Kong restoring […]