Which is the most important festival in San Miguel de Allende called La Dawn It would not have the splendor and mysticism that characterize it if it were not for the creative work of the star forgers Don Emigdio Ledesma and Don Alfonso Martínez.
The brilliant shine of a shooting star is transferred to the wise gaze of Don Emigdio as he remembers when he was 10 years old and saw for the first time The Stars brought to the convent of Las Monjas.
Don Camilo González and company from Hércules, Querétaro and Salvatierra introduced the striking artistic pieces that were the fruit of their cult to the Immaculate Conception. Upon seeing how beautiful they were and how much attention they attracted, the priest Refugio Solís invited them to participate the following year in the festivity of San Miguel Arcángel, a tradition that would no longer be a withered star.
At the age of 15, Emigdio joined the ranks of Fábrica La Aurora, where he became fascinated by the world of festivities and the creation of stars. There are 50 stars that are part of our festivities year after year; among them, we can distinguish the stars that are actually in the sky.
“The eyes of Santa Lucia”, “The Comet”, “The Sun” and “The Moon” are the models that attract the most attention, as is the case of “The 7 goats”, a star with 8 peaks from which smaller stars emerge and whose design is unmistakable.
Due to their large size, lighter star models are made for children and are made from wooden frames so that the little ones can also carry their own star and be part of our great tradition.
Similarly, the manufacture of stars has evolved over time to make their construction easier and they are no longer collected from straight rock roses from the river but pieces of wood; they no longer use slow paste as glue but it has been replaced by glue which has proven to be more effective.
Although these changes have been inevitable, Don Emigdio still prefers to create his stars with papier-mâché as is tradition and not with cellophane paper, although he admits that it looks very pretty at night with the effect of the candles.
Just as a quinceañera is excited to reach her big day, the equivalent of that feeling for both star makers is being able to reach, “if God gives them permission,” the centenary of the Alborada.
So now you know, when you look up at the sky and see a magnificent and colorful star with flashing colors, don't forget to make your wish and make that wish that the tradition of the stars of Don Emigdio never goes out.
Discover the art of making Earth Stars every Tuesday and Thursday at the “Star Workshop” on the road to the centenary of the Alborada at Privada de la Aurora #9 at 5 pm.
