Victor Hugo Sosa, the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, a town in southern Mexico, has married a female crocodile in a traditional rite to bring good fortune to his people.
The reptile, named Alicia Adriana, represents the “princess girl” in local lore, AFP news agency reports.
According to the report, this marriage rit¥al has been practiced for 230 years to commemorate the peace between the Chontal and Huave Indigenous groups. The mayor, embodying the Chontal king, weds the reptile, symbolising the union of the two cultures.
The wedding ceremony allows the communities to connect with earth and seek blessings for rain, crop germination, and harmony.
Speaking during the rit¥al, the mayor said: “I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important. You can’t have a marriage without love… I yield to marriage with the princess girl.”
Jaime Zarate, chronicler of San Pedro Huamelula, explained that:
“The wedding allows the sides to link with what is the emblem of Mother Earth, asking the all-powerful for rain, the germination of the seed, all those things that are peace and harmony for the Chontal man.”
Prior to the ceremony, the reptile is taken to people’s houses for dancing. The crocodile wears elaborate attire and has its snout bound shut for safety. The wedding takes place at the town hall, where a local fisherman expresses hopes for good fishing and prosperity.
The mayor dances with the reptile bride, and the event celebrates the union of cultures, bringing happiness to the people. The ceremony concludes with the mayor planting a kiss on the reptile’s snout.
