Oaxaca's very own festival
¡ Guelaguetza !

A Zapotec word indicating an offering , Oaxaca's Guelaguetza was the term used to describe the ceremony and celebration held each year to propitiate the gods in return for sufficient rain and a bountiful harvest.

More than three thousand years ago the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca began to cultivate plants to supplement their hunting, fishing and gathering. The most important of these plants was corn which formed the basis of their diet. With the addition of tomatoes, beans, chiles and squash, their simple diet evolved into a richly varied and delicious regional gastronomy - which is today celebrated during the Food of the Gods Festival in early October. Thus the gods and goddesses involved with water and corn were vital among the celestial hierarchy and the tribute to them was a lively and colorful celebration with music, dance and artifacts of the people.

This offering of life's gifts took place midway through the rainy season, when it was essential that the rains continue moderately and without excess to bring forth the best crops. The feast of Xilonen, goddess of tender corn, falls on July 16 (in the modern calendar) and is the signal to begin the two weeks of celebration.

When the Spanish arrived in Oaxaca in 1521 they attempted to impose upon and convert the indigenous people to Catholicism. Part of their strategy was to reinterpret the deeply rooted customs honoring pagan beliefs. For example, razing temples and building churches on the ruins, conserving the holiness of the place but identifying it with the new religion. In the case of the Guelaguetza, it was incorporated into a celebration of the feast on July 16 of the Virgin of Carmen which is why the celebration begins with calendas, and other festivities at the church of Carmen Alto.

The Spanish introduced new products and techniques which resulted in changes to lifestyles and traditional dress. Prior to their arrival textiles were made from cotton. Now one sees silk, wool and glass beads in the clothing of the delegations to the Guelaguetza.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

Diosa Centeotl,
Chinas Oaxaqueñas,
Sones Mazatecos,
Jarabes Yalaltecos,
Jarabe Mixe,
Fandango en San Antonino,
Sones de Tehuantepec,
Jarabe Mixteco,
Jarabe Ejuteco,
Sones de Pochutla, Jarabes y Chilenas de Sola de Vega,
Pinotepa Nacional y sus chilenas,
Flor de Piña, y
Danza de la Pluma de Zaachila.

Overlooking the present city of Oaxaca is the hill known as 'Cerro del Fortín' from the location of Aztec garrisons there in the 15th century. This ridge was a popular place for outings and came to be the traditional place for celebrating the Lunes del Cerro (Mondays on the Hill) when the Guelaguetza began to focus on the celebrations held on the two Mondays following the feast of the Virgin of Carmen on July 16.

In 1932 the city of Oaxaca celebrated the 400th anniversary of its designation as a royal city by Carlos the fifth of Spain . As a part of that year's festivities it was organized into the forerunner of what we might call the "modern" Guelaguetza, with representation of the ethnic groups from all the seven regions of the valley. Over the past 69 years it has become a highly publicized major cultural event. Approximately thirty years ago an amphitheater seating close to 11,000 people was built to accommodate this exuberant expression of Oaxacan folklore.

Other events have grown up around the two Mondays - some original indigenous traditions, especially in the villages, and some more modern innovations such as the contest to select the goddess Centeotl who presides over the festivities. The goddess Centeotl is chosen from among the candidates sent by each delegation, not for physical beauty alone, but also for her knowledge of her area's history, customs and traditions. There is also the Bani Stui Gulal, a dramatic presentation of how the Guelaguetza has been celebrated in different epochs, plus the presentation of the Legend of Donaji on each of the Monday nights in the Guelaguetza Auditorium. The Legend of Donaji is the story of the last Zapotec princess, full of light, sound, fireworks and drama.

The "official" Guelaguetza is now organized and promoted by the state. It is held on the two Mondays following July 16 (unless July 18, the anniversary of the death of Benito Juárez, falls on a Monday, in which case it is on the following two Mondays). The Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Culturas and the city also organize various collateral events.

At dawn on the Monday on the Hill people are already walking up the to the auditorium, with music, fireworks and pageantry. Around 9:00 AM the delegations and spectators begin to arrive, the seats fill up and the excitement builds. The morning is generally perfect with bright warm sunshine and mostly clear skies. At around 10:00 AM the goddess Centeotl and all the delegations are presented and parade around the stage. Centeotl then takes her seat with the governor of the state and invited dignitaries, high officials and personalities from around the world, and as the first delegation is introduced the celebration begins.

As on the first Monday, so on the second - pageantry, music and breathtaking beauty, enlivened by the scrabbling to catch one of the pineapples from the Papaloapan, a sombrero de palma from the Mixteca, mezcal from Ejutla or any of the varied gifts of their region thrown into the audience by members of each delegation.

It is difficult to describe the beauty of this spectacle - the music, the color, the enthusiasm of the participants reflecting out into the audience who remain enthralled until the final Danza de la Pluma around 1:00 PM. You can see the dances performed in other places and other times in Oaxaca and many are quite stunning, but nothing compares to being in this place at this time taking part in the tradition of the Guelaguetza.

We can pre-purchase tickets for you, in conjunction with your hotel reservation.

Come celebrate with us!
• A Taste of Oaxaca • Day of the Dead Celebration • Christmas/New Year Holiday Season