60 DAYS of GRATITUDE: DAY 39 of 60!

Hello, friends! Continuing with 60 days of gratitude, a GREAT antidote to living stuck in the gambling/not gambling paradigm..

Buongiorno a voi! I’m Sal G. and I’m living a happy, gambling-free life today. 😊 This Sunday morning, I’m highly grateful for so many things, including:

-another truly magical evening in SMA last night. After a stop at our favorite café, we watched representatives from numerous surrounding neighborhoods enter the principal area while performing ancient dances, banging drums, and igniting our spirits. Beautiful! And that was topped off by a pyrotechnical display that is uniquely Mexican, using castillos (literally “castles”) that went on for about 35 minutes and was followed by a dazzling display of “regular” fireworks that lit up the square and parrocchia. Incredible! 😊 (I am pasting the info about the castillos, per ChatGPT, below, if you are interested…)

what you saw in San Miguel are indeed castillos (literally “castles”), and they’re a very traditional Mexican pyrotechnic display*, not something imported from China.*

Here’s some context:

What a castillo is

• A castillo is a tall wooden or bamboo tower*, sometimes 20–30 feet high, built with different tiers or “floors.”*
• Each tier is fitted with pyrotechnic wheels, rockets, fountains, and figures made from handmade fireworks.
• When ignited, the display works its way upward in timed sequences: spinning wheels, colored sprays, rockets shooting out, and often a dramatic finale like a spinning cross, an eagle, or a burst at the top.

Tradition & origins

• The tradition is deeply Mexican*, especially tied to* religious festivals and patron saint celebrations (called fiestas patronales). San Miguel de Allende, with its many church-centered fiestas, is a hotspot for them.
• Pyrotechnics came to Mexico with the Spanish in the 16th century (gunpowder had already spread to Europe from China centuries earlier). Mexicans then developed their own craft, particularly in towns like Tultepec, State of Mexico*, which is considered the “capital of fireworks.”*
• Castillos are built by local artisanal fireworks makers (pirotécnicos), and each region has its own style. They’re usually commissioned by the community, often as a devotion to a saint.

Cultural meaning

• They’re not just entertainment — they’re a gift to the saint and the town*, an offering of light and spectacle in the plaza.*
• The whole community gathers in front of the church or main square to watch, often after a procession or mass.
• It’s as much about communal celebration and faith as it is about fireworks.

So yes: definitely a Mexican tradition*, handmade locally by pirotécnicos, though the technology (gunpowder and fireworks concept) traces back to China originally. What you saw is part of the living culture — and San Miguel is famous for especially elaborate castillos during fiestas.*

-taking our Sunday walk this AM up these beautiful steps at the top of town followed by chilaquiles rojos and pan de muerto. What a nice Sunday morning that sure beats “researching games” and other deluded behavior that only resulted in amplifying the inevitable horror and disappointment that was already mounting. Amen! 😊

-knowing that if it weren’t for God, GA, other influences, and my decision to open up to them and be an active participant, I would most likely be dead and surely not enjoying life daily. Imagine that… 😊

-the black and blue books today covering being open to God, as the black almost always stresses, and the need and joy of connecting with people and getting away from my irrational sense of terminal uniqueness (blue). Great stuff! 😊

-working through some ongoing practical issues in life that are difficult and a bit draining. However, in the grand scheme of things, they are hardly worth mentioning and will ultimately be solved so long as I practice Steps 10, 11, and 12 diligently. And, yes, it IS that simple! 😊

-a relaxing day on tap that will also include some work on a handful of ongoing items. I’m grateful that, as Mel often says, we (I) GET to do this! 😊

*Alla prossima volta! 😊

God Bless! This Is the Day!

Love, Sal G.