Mexican town dedicates Labour Day festival to hard-working donkeys

Record ID: 1671078

  • Title: Mexican town dedicates Labour Day festival to hard-working donkeys
  • Date: 2nd May 2022
  • Summary: OTUMBA, MEXICO (MAY 1, 2022) (REUTERS) LOCALS HOLDING DONKEYS BEFORE RACE DONKEY RACE STARTING VARIOUS OF DONKEYS RACING AUDIENCE OBSERVING DONKEY RACE DONKEYS RACING DONKEY DRESSED AS DINOSAUR BRAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARMER, FLAVIO GUTIERREZ, SAYING: “He (donkey) himself has said he doesn’t want his fellow donkeys become extinct. What would the festival be without them (donkeys)? A festival of mascots, humans dressed up as donkeys.” VARIOUS OF DONKEY CARRYING CARRIAGE TRANSPORTING TRADITIONAL DRINK PULQUE LOCALS ON CARRIAGE GIVING PULQUE TO AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARMER WHO PARTICIPATES IN COSTUME COMPETITION, AGUSTIN FRANCO, SAYING: “He (the donkey) is good and holy for me because he helps me a lot. I don’t have to pay him. We don’t have enough (to buy )a car or a vehicle to come around. He (the donkey) doesn’t want more than food, water and being taken care of. That’s it.” LOCAL WALKING WITH DONKEY DRESSED AS MEXICAN TV CHARACTER LOCAL WEARING DONKEY COSTUME AUDIENCE OBSERVING DONKEYS PASSING BY DURING COSTUME COMPETITION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CULTURAL PROMOTER, JOSE DE JESUS, SAYING: “My father wanted to come to the donkey race and I didn’t know that there was a whole festival dedicated to this animal. It’s so beautiful with the competition of the imitation donkey bray, competition of costumes. I think Otumba is iconic when talking about donkeys.” PERSON IMITATING DONKEY BRAY VARIOUS OF LOCALS PLAYING POLO RIDING ON DONKEYS DONKEYS IN ENCLOSURE GENERAL VIEW OF DONKEY FESTIVAL WITH BANNER READING (SPANISH): “National donkey festival.” VISITORS AT DONKEY FESTIVAL
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2022 01:39
  • Keywords: Mexico animals donkey tradition work
  • Location: OTUMBA, MEXICO
  • City: OTUMBA, MEXICO
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001515501052022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:While most of Latin America celebrates Labour Day on May 1, the rural town of Otumba, Mexico, dedicates a festival to their hard-working donkeys.
    In the 16th-century rural town in the state of Mexico, donkeys are kings for a day as residents and visitors celebrate their "burros".
    Thousands of families turned out for the traditional Donkey Day to attend donkey races, polo matches, and a costume competition.
    Spectators fawned over dozens of donkeys dressed from head to hoof in a wide variety of costumes such as Mexican television characters.
    Farmer Agustin Franco who participated with his donkey in the costume competition is thankful for the hard work of his donkey.
    “He (the donkey) is good and holy for me because he helps me a lot. I don’t have to pay him. We don’t have enough (to buy )a car or a vehicle to come around", he said.
    The origins of Mexico's Donkey Festival are said to be traced back some sixty years ago, Otumba residents who relied heavily on donkeys decided they deserved their own day of honour.
    (Production: Roberto Ramirez, Alfonso Duarte, Eva Weininger)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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