This Metal Wall Attachment is a Vital Piece of Mexican Culture
It may even have religious significance
If you don’t recognize the device in the photograph, your knowledge of Mexican culture is missing a vital piece.
Believe it or not, this simple wall mount is intimately related to the most important holiday period in Mexico, Semana Santa (Holy Week). Typical of many things Mexican, the “week” manages to stretch roughly into a month of on-and-off celebrations.
That device is a hammock hook.
Shirley from Edmonton, Alberta, showed me a property near Chuburna and explained when Mexican families are looking for a holiday rental for this period, the first thing they’ll do is count the number of hammock hooks.
Semana Santa is traditionally combined with spring break. Mexican families and acquaintances will pool their resources and rent an ocean-front property, or as close to the ocean as they can, usually at an exorbitantly inflated price tag, then cram it full of family for Semana Santa which, this year, runs from March 29 to April 4 (Easter).
Obviously, they come from inland and the kids may never have seen the ocean. Locals who rent their properties for Semana Santa make a big enough stash of pesos to cover a major portion of their household expenses for the season. That means beaches are normally jammed for most of the day and a lot of the night. Locals left behind will get no sleep for the week, especially if the rental has been booked by a college crowd proudly hauling in audio speakers with the power of demolition equipment.
Anyone relying on enforcement of noise laws will tell you their complaints at 4:30 or 5 am will result in a police drive-by with nary a flicker of the brake lights and certainly with no attempt at noise controls. The only alternative is to relax. Happy Easter.
A final note: It’s quite possible that, as the war on COVID progresses, beaches may be closed and house parties limited. The Progreso Malecon is scheduled to close for a designated period. It’s likely other businesses will face restrictions.
Look at the bright side, though. You now can readily recognize a hammock hook should you happen to encounter one.