A local mayor in a small town in Mexico just got hitched in one of the weirdest ways possible. Mayor Joel Vasquez Rojas married a crocodile for a second time around as part of a tradition.
The LGBT community in America just recently celebrated the decision to legalize same sex marriage in all of their states. But a different kind of wedding celebration happened in Mexico. In a report by International Business Times UK, local mayor Joel Vasquez Rojas of San Pedro Huamelula, a small fishing town in Mexico, just got married to a crocodile.
But before the reptile was prepped to get married, it needed to be baptized. This is still part of a tradition that has been practiced since 1789 by Chontal Indians. It is believed that this will be the answer for a good harvest. The ritual aims for the fishermen in the town to harvest more shrimps, fishes and other sea creatures.
"It is to ask from the heart to our Lord, to make this year one of the best harvests, so that we don't lack natural resources such as corn, and food from the water such as fish, which is the main source of food for people in our community," said "godfather" of the crocodile Gulenio Gonzalez.
According to another report by NBC News, the crocodile wore duct tape around its mouth while it was held by Rojas during the wedding ceremony. The reptile was given the name Maria Isabel. After it was baptized and married, the Mayor danced with his unlikely bride in the wedding party that was packed with the town's locals.
"Indigenous people have great faith and many beliefs, many myths, especially a lot of mysticism. To be part of that pact between animals, humans, the environment, represented today with the celebration of this marriage, is a privilege that not everyone can have. I feel very lucky," the mayor said.
After its marriage, the crocodile is not only married but also regarded as a princess by tradition. The Chontal Indians are hoping that this kind of ceremony will bring peace and prosperity to their small town.
A year ago, Mayor Rojas also did the annual ritual. During the first wedding, the mayor stated that it was his wish to be married to the "princess." A local resident explained the importance of doing and preserving such ritual.
"As young people, this means a lot. It's the greatest treasure our ancestors have left us," local Eduardo Zarate said.