INDIGENOUS ROOTS
The festival connects indigenous traditions with the Catholic faith
and occurs on the following two Mondays after July 16th, the Day
of Saint Carmen.
The roots of this festival is dedicated to indigenous gods, particularly
Centeotl, the Zapotec and Miztec goddess of corn.
The Sunday before the event a young woman is chosen to represent
Centeotl. She is chosen on the basis of how well she represents
her community.
The word 'Guelaguetza' corresponds to paying off social debts.
The word Guelaguetza comes from the Zapotec language and means 'reciprocal
exchanges of gifts and services.' At its base is an exchange of
products and services, an age-old tradition of 'paying it forward.'
Gifts are catalogued and repaid at other guelaguetzas. This tradition
is voluntary, contrasting with the tequio, obligatory communal work
which also plays an important role in social relations.
FLYING PINEAPPLES
Dances range from solemn to raucus expressions of local culture.
At the end of each dance, each delegation presents their own 'guelaguetza'
to the audience by throwing small fruit, hats, and even coconuts
and pineapples.
The audience stays alert to catch the gifts and to avoid getting
hit by projectiles. Pineapples sting the most.
RELATED EVENTS
While the formal dances occur only two days each year, the last
two weeks of July are filled with folk art and gastronomic exhibitions.
Related events in Oaxaca City include Donají, La Leyenda
and Bani Stui Gul.
Pedestrian-friendly Alcalá street becomes dancer-friendly
on late Saturday afternoons (before the Monday Guelaguetza). The
celebration begins with a colorful parade of participating delegations
and led with Oaxaca's famous Calendas, giant paper mache
figures.
HISTORY
In 1974 the state government rebuilt the amplitheater (auditorio)
so that it could hold more spectators. Built on Fortin
Hill, the stadium offers a superb view of the dancers and the
city.
For the first the time in the history of the official state-sponsored
Guelaguetza, the 2006 event was cancelled.
Protesters blockaded the entrance and set fire to the interior of
the auditorium. They also held their own Guelaguetza Popular at
a local university.
Smaller Guelaguetzas were held in towns in the Central Valleys
without incident.
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