You may now kiss the 'gator!
A Mexican mayor has married an alligator bride in the hopes that it will bring good fortune to the local fishing community.
As reported by the New York Post, Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa, who resides in the small village of San Pedro Huamelula, took part in the ceremony on Thursday - which has been a centuries-old tradition in the town.
Prior to the "wedding", the seven-year-old alligator - named Little Princess - was carried through the village's streets, as men fanned her with their hats.
Little Princess is reportedly viewed as a deity that represents nature and her marriage to a local leader is a means of creating a connection between humans and the supernatural.
During the ceremony, Little Princess was dressed in a wedding gown and had her snout tied for safety - allowing Mayor Sosa to bend over and kiss the large reptile on multiple occasions.
Musicians serenaded the happy "couple" with drums and trumpets throughout the ceremony, which The Post states can be traced back to pre-Hispanic times and was previously carried out by the Oaxaca state's Chontal and Huave indigenous communities.
"We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river," Sosa said during the jubilant celebrations.
A local woman named Elia Edith Aguilar arranged the event. Known as "the godmother", Aguilar revealed that the wedding brings her so much happiness, but admitted that she was fretting over what Little Princess would wear for her big day.
Aguilar also spoke about how the ceremony makes her proud of her heritage, describing the wedding as a "beautiful tradition", per Reuters.
Despite being rooted in the area's rich indigenous culture, over time, the tradition has become mixed with Catholic spirituality.
San Pedro Huamelula is a small village on Oaxaca's Pacific coast known for its fishing industry.
The tradition was last carried out back in June 2018 by then-mayor Victor Aguilar Ricardez - pictures of which can be seen below:
I guess there's nothing more to say except congratulations to the happy couple - may the fishermen's nets remain full!
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