@MLClark Such an odd holiday, but thanks for sharing this unique insight into Colombian culture. 😊
I wrote about this more last year, in a long, meditative piece that ties the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard into a reflection on how activism for workers' rights looks different in the world today.
The opening sections are a bit long-winded and lit-scholar-y, but if you skip to the nice picture of a decked-out bus, there's a decent summary of how this feast day for la Virgin del Carmen ties into the promotion and celebration of transport workers.
https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/is-it-not-lawful-for-me-to-do-what
@MLClark Is May 1 also celebrated as a workers' day in Colombia? Or is July 16 unique to transportation workers?
Colombia takes its worker celebrations seriously! On top of May 1, medical workers have their day, and teachers, and admin assistants! It's just that the transport workers (which can also include military personnel) are tied into a religious feast day for a manifestation of the Virgin tied to pilgrimage to a place in Israel.
(And also that the teachers don't honk as much for their/our big day. 😬)