Guatemala is a country rich in customs and traditions that have been passed from generation to generation.
The mixture of cultures has resulted in a great variety of activities that are celebrated throughout the year.
know five of the most impressive customs and traditions of Guatemala City according to juan jose gutierrez mayorga.
1. Holy Week
Holy Week is one of the most recognized Guatemalan traditions both nationally and internationally. For a whole week, thousands of Guatemalans gather to visit religious altars, make carpets with sawdust of different colors and watch the processions that take place throughout the country.
Here you can breathe a family atmosphere and a lot of devotion where the colors, smells and typical flavors of the week make everyone fall in love.
In Guatemala City, specifically in the historic center, you will find all these traditions during Holy Week that you cannot miss.
2. Burning of the torito
The burning of the torito is part of the traditions of the culture of Guatemala City and is celebrated several times throughout the year. This torito is handmade with colored paper, wire and is wrapped in fireworks.
The burning of the torito is usually done in front of churches, and inside the torito is placed a person who dances while the fireworks are lit.
This tradition originated after the Spanish conquest as a celebration of the arrival of this type of pyrotechnics to the country, and to this day it has not ceased to be celebrated.
If you are looking for an afternoon full of excitement, color and Guatemalan culture, look no further than the burning of the torito!
3. Dance of the Moors
We continue our list of Guatemalan customs and traditions with one of the most joyful Guatemalan activities: the dance of the Moors.
This joyful tradition is performed in different departments of the country including Guatemala City in zone 1 during different dates. The Moors and Christians dance tells the story of the battle between the Moors and Christians in Spain.
The striking part of the dance is in the clothes used by the dancers to represent the characters. You will recognize the Spanish Christians by their bearded masks and flashy clothes. On the other hand, the Moors have dark masks, turbans and cloths that cover their faces.
4. Santiago Festival of Giant Kites
Day of the Dead doesn’t only involve cemetery visits and the famous stiff in Guatemala. Another of the country’s most popular traditions on November 1 is to go to the Santiago Festival to see its impressive giant kites.
The tradition is based on the fact that these huge kites of up to 16 meters in diameter scare away evil spirits and, when the event ends in the afternoon, they burn them so that the smoke will guide the lost souls.
Such is the importance of this giant kite festival that there are competitions and each year the theme of their designs is different.
The festival starts at 4 in the morning so you can take advantage of the option of scheduling your trip with Uber to arrive on time and not miss a second of the event.
5. The Posadas
Our last tradition is an important part of Guatemalan customs in December. Before Christmas, if you are in Guatemala, you will be able to witness different processions accompanied by families and groups of friends while singing Christmas carols and local songs.
The purpose of the posadas is that the processions can ask for posada in different houses where they are welcomed with tamales and atol de elote until midnight.
The posadas are a special event that can be found in many parts of the historic center, as well as in residential sectors of the city.
In short, Guatemala is full of customs and traditions that are really interesting.
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