The government of Michoacán has announced the winners of its Soul of Mexico photo contest celebrating the traditions and beauty of the state’s Easter Week celebrations.

The photos were published to the state’s Instagram account and the winners were determined by the number of likes they received.

First-place winner Christian González received over 4,200 likes for her photo of a young girl and an older woman selling vegetables in the street while wearing traditional dress of the region. She won a 15,000 peso gift certificate for the Casa de las Artesanías de Michoacán, a state institution dedicated to the direct sale of the crafts from artisans to the public from the state’s seven different sociocultural regions. González also won a two night hotel stay for two people and a dinner for two in Morelia.

Second place winner was Cesar A. Laredo with his photo of a young boy dressed in a traditional Day of the Dead costume and face paint with the setting sun behind him. Laredo won a 10,000 peso gift certificate, a one night hotel stay and dinner for two.

César Vázquez’s third place photo of the Easter Week procession won him a 5,000 peso gift certificate, while Veriz Hernández and Itzel Victoriano where also recognized in fourth and fifth place for their photos of a man and a fireworks tower and a flatbottom boat in the foreground of  an expansive body of water.

The photos will be used to promote tourism to Michoacan, in particular its special Easter Week celebrations which are a longstanding tradition for tourists from around the world and include an extensive list of activities in each of the state regions.

With reports from Al Torre and Mi Morelia