Visitors from Mexico and around the world stood for hours in a line that stretched for blocks to see a spectacle that the city of Oaxaca has hosted for more than 120 years. The attraction? Radishes.
Every Dec. 23, the southern Mexican city, celebrated for its vibrant culture, cuisine and history, comes to a near standstill for a simple vegetable typically served in soups, on salads and with tacos. But instead of eating the radishes, the crowds gather for the annual Noche de Rábanos competition (the Night of the Radishes), where local residents transform the root vegetable into extravagant works of art. There were Nativity scenes, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) displays, depictions of Indigenous mythology and much more.
The city provides the radishes — 12 tons this year — free to the participants. There are two different varieties of radishes for contestants to use, including one that grows up to seven pounds. They aren’t supposed to be eaten, city officials said, because of the insecticides and treated water used to grow them. Participants are allowed to use other materials, such as wood or grass, but it has to be organic, and the majority of the display has to be made from radishes.
This year there were more than 100 entries, including the smaller competitions where displays are made mostly from a local flower or corn husks. Día de los Muertos and Nativity scenes were the most common themes. Two submissions came from inmates at penitentiaries in the state. Four children — and their teacher — participated from a local public culinary school.
Some Oaxacan families have been competing for decades, passing down the craft and their carving tips from one generation to the next. “In the beginning, you want to win because there is a prize,” said José Domingo Luría Aquino, 44, a local artist and sculptor. In the traditional radish category this year, first place won about $1,500, with cash awards extending to 20th place. “But with time,” Mr. Luría Aquino continued, “you do it because of tradition, and it’s why we’ve instilled it in our children.”
Día de los Muertos and Nativity scenes were the most common themes. Two submissions came from inmates at penitentiaries in the state. Four children — and their teacher — participated from a local public culinary school.
Over the decades, city officials said, the event has not only exhibited Oaxacan culture but society at large. When humans first landed on the moon, in 1969, and during the Zapatista uprising, in 1994, for example, the displays those years reflected those events.
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