Posted
on July 28, 2014
“Guelaguetza”
means “offering” in the Zapotec language, so today is the second
day of the “Offering Festival.” Another name for this Mexican
festival is Lunes del Cerro, or “Mondays on the hill.” It
is held the last two Mondays of July.
There are parades and dance shows. And of course food. Lots of yummy food.
This
festival is sort of a combination of pre-Hispanic celebrations of the
corn goddess Centeotl and the Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel. It is a state-wide festival in which people from all over
Oaxaca come together and celebrate the diversity of their traditions.
 |
| When I think of a handicraft from Oaxaca, I always think of this kind of gorgeous barro negro pottery. |
You
may think of Mexican culture being one set thing, but just within the
state of Oaxaca, there are 16 different ethnic and linguistic
(language) groups. They each have traditional clothing, folk dances,
and specialized products.
 |
| These colorful alebrijes are made of wood and are very popular. |
Get
this: at the end of a group's performance of their own regional
dance, the dancers throw items that are particular to their region
out into the crowd. That's a nice way of sharing culture with one
another!
Apparently
it is sad to many of the indigenous peoples of the area that the new
auditorium means that the once-free, more spontaneous sharing of
cultures of the past is more of a tourist attraction that costs
money. There is a lot of controversy about the official celebration,
and I am wondering if some non-official venues are springing up here
and there?
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on this date:
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