Night of the Radishes
night radish spanish noche de rábanos annual event held december oaxaca mexico dedicated carving oversized radish raphanus sativus create scene compete prize various category event origin colonial period radish introduced spanish oaxaca long wood carving tradition farmer began carving radish figure way attract customer attention christmas market held main square december city instituted formal competition city grown government dedicate land growing radish used event supervising growth distribution competitor event become popular attracting contestant thousand visitor since radish wilt soon cutting work displayed number hour led long line wishing see event also display competition work made corn husk dried flower created theme radish native china radish introduced mexico spanish particularly friar time crop became used side dish snack carved decoration special dish colonial period radish began carved religious theme relation annual christmas market held city oaxaca december encouragement priest carving marketing gimmick farmer using attract attention shopper market city plaza eventually people began buying radish eat create centerpiece christmas dinner legend event began say one year midth century radish crop abundant section lay unharvested month december two friar pulled forgotten radish size shape amusing brought curiosity christmas market held december misshapen vegetable attracted attention soon began carved give wider variety shape figure mayor city francisco vasconcelos decided create formal radishcarving competition held year since year various type radish used oaxacan cuisine carving large completely white type called criollo used earlier rot readily adopted capricious form variety since disappeared image seen work diego rivera called la tentaciones de san antonio formal noche de rábanos competition focus carving radish embellished element entry scene use multiple radish traditional nativity scene however year competition held significant diversification entry common scene related life oaxaca guelaguetza posadas calendas kind traditional party day dead danza de la pluma pineapple harvest dance chilena costa chica oaxacan history folklore well veneration lady guadalupe lady juquila lady solitude patron state however also depict theme nonchristmas biblical story even protest common element people animal food handcraft state also include duendes snowman monster originally radish used competitor raised local farmer city grown taking land traditionally dedicated cultivation municipal government stepped allocated area near el tequio park cultivation specially grown event heavily fertilized chemically treated left ground long normal harvest allow reach monumental size capricious shape also make unsuitable human consumption resulting vegetable fifty centimeter length ten centimeter wider weigh three kilo twelve ton radish harvested event alone local authority monitor harvest distribute crop registered contestant december radish currently used red skin white interior use radish softer variety precipitated number strategy different used past one use contrast skin interior peel flatten red skin use clothing item flag typically participant use knife toothpick create sculpture top radish long green leaf cut sometimes used scene although carving radish evolved area tradition wood carving current competition attract current woodcarver material different event attracts participant city oaxaca neighboring community especially san antonino velazco competed adult category along youth child contestant register month advance th rd must plan design scene generally using natural shape radish allotted guide actual carving assembly entry occurs day december several category participation adult radish sculpture scene traditional free category determined theme work traditional category depiction nativity scene oaxacan tradition free category generally depict contemporary theme however function event preserve tradition grand prize peso awarded winner traditional category grand prize winner entry dulces regionales oaxaqueños vasquez lopez family also prize participant competing novice childrens category aged six seventeen encourage new generation continue tradition prize childrens category include bicycle school supply event also added category scene made radish instead dried corn husk called totomoxtle made dried flower called flor inmortal immortal flower named dry quickly keep color entry also several subcategories generally similar theme done radish since radish keep cut quickly wilt entire event last number hour late afternoon early evening december stand set morning around main square city taken morning visitor permitted pas stand starting late afternoon judging awarding prize taking place pm radish sculpture removed shortly event become popular attracting thousand visitor well functionary include state governor despite creation twoline system one behind raised platform visitor file stand wait time long – hour see entry christmas mexico