Mexico has several diverse cultural festivals all year around. In Oaxaca, there are several festivals, but Guelaguetza is unquestionably one of the greatest. Many indigenous communities call this region home, and every July, they all congregate in the city for a few weeks for a sizeable dance event.
The Guelaguetza dance festival is a huge celebration of Oaxaca’s diversity and distinctive traditions. You don’t want to miss doing this while visiting Mexico. So get your Mexican insurance for Palm Springs today.
What happens at the Guelaguetza dance festival?
One of the major indigenous cultural events on the Mexican calendar is the enormously significant Guelaguetza celebration, also known as Los Lunes del Cerro, in Oaxaca City. It is currently a major tourist destination, which is controversial among the people, but it also plays a crucial role in ensuring the survival of indigenous tribes and customs.
Oaxaca is a remarkably diversified state home to 16 distinct ethnolinguistic groups. Members of these communities congregate for the Guelaguetza and perform regional folk dances while dressed in their traditional attire. They also throw trinkets to the crowd after the dancing that are goods from the area they represent.
Although the Zapotec term essentially translates to “offering” in English, its significance extends well beyond the event in July. Every time there is a reason to celebrate in a typical Oaxacan hamlet, such as baptism, wedding, or the feast day of the community patron Saint, the guests will bring food, alcoholic drinks, and other necessities.
Everyone’s contribution or “Guelaguetza” makes the wedding event successful and contributes to a reciprocal exchange between the hosts and guests. One way social relationships in Oaxaca are preserved throughout time is through the practice of Guelaguetza. The Guelaguetza festival, as it is observed now, combines pre-colonial festivities honoring the corn deity Centeotl with the July 16 Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The celebration’s main attraction is dancing as groups dressed in the vivid traditional costumes of Mexico’s indigenous tribes gathered together to display their dexterous abilities and rich cultural history before launching presents from their areas to the audience. Regional specialties are also offered. There is an annual mezcal market, and many handicrafts are on exhibit and for sale in the city center and beyond. Additionally, the dancers’ traditional attire, often embellished with elaborate embroidery and vibrant ribbons and that of many guests, is extremely stunning.
The Guelaguetza Auditorium
Since the time of the colonizers, the Guelaguetza event has been held on Oaxaca’s Fortin Hill. A unique theatre was constructed especially for the event in the 1970s. You will find over 11,000 seats in the Guelaguetza auditorium. This building’s unique design incorporates a hillside location so that fans gazing down at the stage can also take in the stunning vista of the city below.
If you are looking to find true Mexican culture, then Oaxaca is waiting for you. The beautiful Guelaguetza Festival takes place at the Guelaguetza Auditorium on the last two Mondays of July. Remember to buy the tickets in advance. Get your Mexico insurance for Palm Springs before you travel.