By Irma de la Luz Bustos

It happens that there are regions of the planet, as well as within countries themselves, where there is particular pride in traditional folk practices, whether they be in music, dress, cooking, religious ceremonies, dance, etc. Our country, Mexico, is one of the few that can feel proud of possessing a rich variety of ethnic groups, each with its own culture and, in consequence, each with its own customs which, while exotic for those who share the national territory as a whole, are perfectly natural for the inhabitants of each particular region. Thus, for many years it must have been normal for the people of Guanajuato to be woken in the early hours by the hob-nailed boots of the miners as they clattered along the cobblestones on their way to the mines, with their cherry-red helmets and tools, now highly valued as collector's items.

Another aspect which is nowadays of great interest to the people of Guanajuato, but which was something completely natural for our ancestors, is the practice of miners' wives and older children accompanying the men to the mine, where they did the valuable job of breaking the silver ore into manageable pieces for easy processing.

These women, known as "Galareñas" for their work in the galeras, or furnaces, typically wore dresses made up of several parts, and were so common that, with the passing of time they came to be considered the traditional Guanajuato female costume. The following description is based on painstaking scientific research: documentary investigation and interviews with elderly people who witnessed these women wearing those clothes that form the subject of our focus.

The typical Guanajuato "Galereña" was as follows: a cotton, A-line skirt, over which was worn another skirt of red flannel, known as a "zagalejo", which was unembroidered but decorated with green triangles at the waist and hem. This was worn for daily use around the home, but when the women went out, they would add a petticoat made from white poplin decorated with frills and ribbons over the zagalejo. This in turn was covered with yet another skirt, made of organdy with a floral design and a decorative "tail" attached to the back - a vestige of the Spanish Flamenco-style dresses.

I have been told by contemporaries of the miners during the first half of the twentieth century that the two outer skirts were pinned up by the Galareñas in order to facilitate their work in the furnaces. This would reveal knee-length underwear decorated with frills and ribbons, and openwork tights on the lower leg, with a pair of clogs completing the outfit.

The upper body was covered by a white, short-sleeved blouse with a square, embroidered neckline. Over the blouse, the Galareña would wear a woolen, ball-knit shawl and brightly colored necklaces. Our Galereña would cover her neck with a striking kerchief and protect her arms with sleeve covers in order to avoid burns, wearing a palm-leaf hat that had the same function.

The Galareña generally completed her outfit with the typical ornamentation used by most women at the time, such as colored combs, ribbons in their braids, bows, bangles, earrings, etc. But among their tools they carried a pan in which they picked up the small pieces of gray stone which to the uninitiated were simply "rocks" but which to the experienced Galareña were sources of that precious metal that was so coveted for its rarity, beauty and high value.

It became so common to see these women on their way to work in their striking costume that I believe all Guanajuato should appreciate the importance of the Galereña style.