Discover Playa del Carmen’s Historical Virgin Celebration

An image of a colorful maritime procession with people dressed in traditional outfits on a decorated boat carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary.

The traditional celebration of the Virgin of Carmen, a patron saint of Playa del Carmen, includes not just the establishment of fairs and cattle ranches, but also the display of sacred art that forms a part of the city's history. For the first time, the city is showcasing artifacts related to the Virgin, including her attire, the first picture of her that arrived in the city, the original perfume, and a historical photo depicting the formation of guilds.

The exhibition also features a painting of the Virgin of Carmen from 1987, which was previously used as a banner. Interestingly, the banner was painted by the same artist who created the city's first mural, located in the Leona Vicario library.

According to Claudiano Quian, this exhibition is a private initiative in collaboration with the Directorate of the Institute of Culture and Arts of the Municipality. However, next year they plan to unveil a new project aimed at educating both citizens and tourists about the history of Playa del Carmen.

Following the display of the seven guilds' banners, a discussion was held featuring representatives of the Catholic greys. They shared their experiences of growing up in an area untouched by the impact of the tourism industry. Aurora Canul also shared the history of the first guilds.


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