Throughout Mexico, towns big and small have festivals and celebrations throughout the year, either honoring patron saints or on major Christian holidays.  The celebrations typically re-enact events, pitting  

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Participants fulfill religious vows by their involvement in the festival, while the dances educate as well as interpret and inform the community of shared values and concerns. The masks are part of scripted dance dramas involving music, song, fire and feasting, that could last for several days.