Wearing his Sunday outfit, Juanillo left the house for the festival at the Plaza de Liberacion. There he would meet Rosita, the girl of his dreams. He knew she would pretend to ignore him. Her apparent modesty would not stop him from wooing her. That was part of the game which would turn into a dance. With a longing gaze, he would eventually toss his sombrero at her feet. His charro hat was his most valued possession, and he would offer it to Rosita as a token of his true love. If she danced around it, there was hope. If she picked it up, his dream would come true.
So goes the story of the Sombrero Dance. (The names may differ.)
The word sombrero is derived from the Spanish word sombra, meaning “shade.”
Sombrero Charro or Mexican sombrero is a hat worn by traditional horsemen from Mexico. The mariachi, folk musicians, wear fancier sombreros with embroidery, beading and gold or silver threads. This traditional article is also part of the “sombrero dance” – jarabe tapatio.
I hope you enjoy the video of this traditional dance, the national dance of Mexico.
Jarabe Tapatío