Mexican Mayor Weds Alligator in Age-Old Ritual

A small-town Mexican mayor married his alligator bride on June 30, 2022, in a colorful ceremony, as revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss.

San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday's wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator's snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting.

The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state's Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature's bounty.

Oaxaca, located in Mexico's poor south, is arguably the country's richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have maintained their languages and traditions.

(Reuters)

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