The 20 most important Guatemalan festivities

Guatemala is one of the smallest countries in Latin America and, even so, it has offered the world a rich and varied culture., mixture of the influences of the ancient mayan civilization and the European and Arabic influences imported by the Spanish who settled in the territory.

The festivities of present-day Guatemala are due to the struggle to evangelize the territory and the resistance of the pre-Columbian cultures to lose their identity, creating a new one that has been able to incorporate the best of both worlds.

• Related article: "12 great poems in Nahuatl (translation and meaning)"

The 20 most famous festivities and cultural events in Guatemala

There is no doubt that the country, whose name in Nahuatl means "place of many trees", is a land beautiful in which in this article we are going to try to publicize some of its most notable festivities.

1. The burning of the bull

This tradition is of origin after the Spanish conquest in Guatemalan lands. The Spanish imported fireworks that the people of the places incorporated into their culture and festivities.

It is celebrated with a bull made by hand with brightly colored paper, wire and wrapped in fireworks. These fires are lit and the bull is burned, normally located in front of churches.

Inside the burning object there is a person who is dancing and is chasing the passers-by.

2. Preparation of cold cuts

It is a Guatemalan dish that is one of the most important elements of the culture of the Latin American country..

It is consumed during All Saints' Day, on November 1, and its preparation dates back to the time of the Spanish conquest. The complexity of this dish is such that it can perfectly carry more than fifty ingredients.

It wears practically everything, as a result of the mixture between pre-Columbian cultures, Spanish and Arabic influences on the Iberian peoples.

Fundamentally it is made with vegetables and other vegetables, adding sausages, cheeses and even seafood. The wealth of Guatemala can be seen in the preparation of this dish, since there are regional variants.

3. The Holy Week

Normally it is carried out between the months of March and April. During this period several processions are held in which they speak of the life of Christ and represent his death. Religious events are numerous in the country.

The usual thing is to spend Holy Week with the family and remembering the deceased. One of the most common customs during these dates is the manufacture of sawdust carpets, which are of many colors and show religious patterns.

4. Santiago Festival of the Giant Kites

On November 1, the festival of the giant kites is celebrated in the city of Santiago Sacatepéquez.. During the festival, barrels of up to 16 meters in diameter are made of paper that are used to drive away evil spirits from cemeteries and houses.

When evening arrives, these kites are burned, so that their smoke serves as a guide for lost souls.

The importance of this tradition has become so great that there are even competitions to see who makes the most beautiful kite of the year.

5. The carnival

Carnival is an essential party in most Latin American countries, and clearly Guatemala was not going to be the exception.

As in Spain, the Guatemalan carnival is related to Lent, which originally prohibited the consumption of meat for about 40 days. According to religion, this tradition begins on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

In Guatemala, during the carnival the use of costumes is not mandatory, but rather in this festivity what matters is to celebrate it in general terms.

It is characterized by having empty shells painted with watercolors that inside have some pecking, flour or confetti that are thrown to be broken on the heads of others.

6. Dance of the Moors

This tradition is directly related to Spanish culture, since it represents how the different towns of the Iberian Peninsula were fighting against the Muslims during the Reconquest.

Although Guatemala falls a bit far both in time and space from this historic event, the truth is that in their lands they have this festivity, only that it is done at different times of the year depending on the region.

The dancers who represent the Christians wear masks with beards and dress in flashy clothing, while those who represent the Moors wear dark masks and turbans.

7. The inns

Before Christmas, on the 24th, the country is filled with processions accompanied by families who are singing Christmas carols.

The children dress as shepherds and carry candles and instruments such as tambourines and castanets.

The little shepherds are attended to when they ask for a posada during the course of the procession. When the journey is over, they are treated to typical foods from the area, such as tamales, punches, sweet breads and corn atol.

8. The dance of the flying stick

A tree trunk is placed on a revolving structure and four dancers hang from ropes. They are dressed in feathered costumes and masks and are arranged to twirl as they dance. This celebration is done to ask for the fertility of the soil and for good rains.

The dancers represent the legend of the Popol Vuh of the twins Hunbatz and Hunchouén, who were punished by being turned into monkeys for having wished the death of their little brothers.

9. The Rabinal Achi

It is also called the Tun dance. It is a Mesoamerican drama, characterized for being one of the few pre-Hispanic artistic works that survived the conquest.

In this story several facts are told mixed with Mayan religiosity and the sociopolitical spheres of the pre-Columbian civilization.

The drama survived underground from 1625 until 1856, when the French priest Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg translated it.

10. The Dolores Strike

It is a satirical march, whose origins date back to the year 1898 with the intention of serving to put pressure on the government at that time.

The students of the University of San Carlos make this march every Friday of Dolores, showing their discontent in a parodic way and representing government figures.

Throughout its history it has been repressed on several occasions, but this has not prevented it from continuing to be held.

11. the ribbon race

Also known as the Game of the Roosters, the men ride horses wearing traditional costumes with colored scarves, red ribbons and feathers.

The turns to participate are controlled and you have to pay to ride, either for a certain period of time or by doing a specific number of laps.

12. Christmas in Guatemala

In Guatemala, as in many places in Christendom, they place the traditional Christmas tree, decorated with balls, lights and the typical star at its highest part.

Formerly, the country used the branches of the fir tree (Abies guatemalensis), but with the passage of time it has been opted to put artificial trees and thus avoid decreasing the amount of this species in the forests Guatemalans.

As in Spain, before midnight arrives between December 24 and 25, the Misa del Gallo is celebrated. When they strike twelve, there are fireworks, they pray to the Child Jesus and spend time with the family.

13. The wedding requests

It is a tradition that the groom's parents make an appointment with the bride's parents to arrange matters concerning the wedding. and the future residence of those who will soon be married.

The role of mothers is that of counselors, who give useful recommendations based on their experience to ensure that the future couple lives happily and in mutual respect.

14. Teacher's Day

María Chinchilla Recinos was an important teacher in Guatemala. That is why she, after being assassinated on June 25, 1944 in a peaceful demonstration against the dictatorial government of Jorge Ubico, it was decided to remember that day as Teacher's Day in the country.

Every year, during that day, demonstrations are called to highlight the important function that teachers perform in the face of society.

Unfortunately, today, in many corners of Latin America, the teaching profession is underestimated, treating people who help children to become future citizens adapted as low-income workers category.

15. Mayan women's day

Called in Mayan k'iche' Belejeb B'atz, is another important tradition that Guatemalans still preserve from their pre-Columbian past.

It is the day of the Mayan woman, which is celebrated every 260 days based on the calendar used by this ancient civilization. It is celebrated the day on which, according to the ancient Mayan religion, the woman was created. During this celebration, the important role played by the female sex in Mayan culture is remembered, being represented as a source of vital energy, beauty, knowledge and fidelity.

The women dress up to celebrate and Mayan ceremonies are performed in which they are honored.

16. The top of May

It is one of the best-known dances in the country, coming from the Jalapa region.

Also called the Dance of the Flowers, this celebration expresses love for spring, since it is the season of the year in which good harvests abound.

Several dancers dance around a tree trunk on which ribbons hang.

17. Birthday celebration at home

Celebrating that another year has been lived is something that, as a general rule, is common in all cultures. Clearly, the celebration will depend on the age of the birthday boy, but the usual thing is to set off firecrackers in the morning on the day of the anniversary.

They have a tamale with chocolate for breakfast and, if they are children, to make the day very happy, colorful piñatas are bursting with candies and toys inside.

Other sweets are eaten throughout the day, as are the traditional brightly colored cakes.

18. Traditional dances

The celebration and joy is never complete if you don't dance And, of course, the Chapín country is an expert on this subject.

Hundreds of dances can be found throughout the country. In addition to those that we have already discussed in this article, we can mention many more.

To give just a few examples, we have the dance of the monkeys, the sailors, the snake dance, the Yurumein dance, the Majani and many more.

It is only possible to capture the beauty of the dance diversity of Guatemalan culture by visiting your beautiful country.

19. Popular music

As with the dances, Guatemala has hundreds of traditional songs, which have been imbued with both Mayan and Spanish influences..

There are also many instruments that have been made in the country, or that have been modified taking into account the characteristics of Guatemalan songs.

Of the most popular instruments used in the country's music scene we have the harp, the guitar, the violin, the simple marimba or the double keyboard.

20. The Black Christ of Esquipulas

To end this compilation of the traditions and customs of the country we have a religious festival, the Black Christ of Esquipulas.

Esquipulas is located in the department of Chiquimula and is located near the border between Guatemala, San Salvador and Honduras.

The tradition of the Black Christ dates back to the Spanish conquest, when the Europeans evangelized the local peoples, and it is related to color deities such as Ek Chua.

It takes place during the month of January. People make pilgrimages to the place, make offerings and give thanks for the good that happened the previous year.

Bibliographic references:

• Lara Figueroa, C. (2005). Magic and Mystery Collection of Guatemala. Guatemala: Free Press/Celso Lara.