Victor Hugo Sosa, mayor of the city of San Pedro Huamelula in southern Mexico, has married an alligator. A man and a female alligator marrying each other is nothing unusual – it’s a tradition that has been celebrated for over 200 years.
– I take responsibility for the fact that we love each other. That’s what’s important, you can’t have a marriage without love, says the mayor during the wedding ceremony, reports Sky News.
It was a colorful ceremony in the local town hall last Friday when Victor Hugo Sosa entered into marriage with the alligator Alicia Adriana, also called the “princess girl”, who was dressed in full wedding attire for the day.
Prior to this, the Alligator Bride had been carried around the city for the citizens to view wearing a green skirt, a hand-embroidered tunic and a headdress adorned with sequins.
230 year old tradition
A man marrying a female alligator is neither unusual nor new – it is a 230-year-old tradition that takes place to celebrate peace between the Chontal and Huave indigenous groups.
In this case, the mayor is said to be the Sosa Chontal king, while the alligator symbolizes a Huave princess girl.
– We are happy because we are celebrating the union of two cultures. People are happy, Sosa told the AFP news agency.
The seven-year-old reptile is also believed to be a divine being representing mother earth. The marriage with the local leader also symbolizes the union of humans with the divine.
Preserved the original culture
The state of Oaxaca, where San Pedro Huamelula is located, is a place where the population has managed to preserve their indigenous culture.
The place is also home to many other indigenous groups who cherish their respective languages and cultures, Reuters reports.