A visit to Los Angeles' Olvera Street opens a colorful window into traditional Mexican culture

By Daisy Miao

As a visitor to Los Angeles, I decide to see Olvera Street— a tourist attraction of Mexican culture—because today, December 12, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most important festivals in Mexico.

Totally new to this city, I ask for directions for the receptionists at the hostel where I am staying. The young woman does not know the La Placita Church -the organization that is holding this event -at all, but she does know that the Olvera Street is close to the Union Station. A young man Googles it for me, and prints me a map.

With the map in hand and a National Geographic shoulder bag on my shoulder, I head to the nearest Metro station. A half hour later, I am outside the Union Station. I get lost for awhile in the beautiful Cesar Chavez Garden‎ before I guess the direction to Olvera Street.

Past a vending van and across a ruined bridge, I am finally here, in what the receptionists called “the Hispanic area.” And suddenly, I am in the middle of a crowd of people who are selling flowers and speaking Spanish. As a visitor from Hong Kong, I do not know Spanish at all.

On the street, many children are dressed up. The most popular pattern on their clothes is the portrait of the Virgin of Guadalupe against a white background. A Mexican woman tells me this is a part of their culture, and many people make the dresses themselves including herself. Another young man, Juan Gonzales, tells me, these are the clothes people used to wear around 400 years ago. He tells me that he lives in San Francisco’s Mission District and is visiting family in Los Angeles.

I read some history of the Virgin of Guadalupe before I came, but Juan explains the story to me in a simple way: The Virgin of Guadalupe, better known as Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to Juan Diego at the hill of Tepeyac, and asked for a church to be built in her honor. The Spanish bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga did not believe this, and asked for a proof. The Virgin asked Diego to gather some flowers for her. And Diego managed to find some Castilian roses even though it was winter.

So now the Virgin is always portrayed as a young girl on the top of the hill, and surrounded by lots of Castilian roses. That is also why people are buying flowers to please the Virgin, and show their respect.

Not only thousands of beautiful flowers, but also hundreds of shining candles are presented to the Virgin. It is said in the Bible, Gonzales explains, that the spirit is the fire. So the fire represents people’s hopes. People pray to the Virgin for miracles to happen.

I am not a Christian, neither is Gonzales. But he says to me that, he gets lost because he doesn’t believe in the Virgin.

Walking along the flowers and candles, I am attracted by some Mexican music and dance. Eight men are dancing in four pairs. They are wearing black suits that have the image of the Virgin, with different colors of masks, and hats.

My afternoon ends at the marketplace. There are traditional dresses, hats, shoes, paintings and lots more. And there is a special restaurant decorated like carriages.