Guatemala Festivals – Fiesta de Santo Tomás – Chichicastenango, Guatemala

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This definitely is one of the biggest and most awaited events in Central America. The Fiesta de Santo Tomas in Chichicastenango, Guatemala is celebrated for seven days up to December 21st which is the Saint Thomas’s Day.

santo tomas festival chichicastenango guatemala travel 300x230 Guatemala Festivals Fiesta de Santo Tomás Chichicastenango, Guatemala

• The festival is held in the remote highland of Chichicastenango or Chichi where the festivity is a combination of Catholic and native Mayan traditions.

• For a week of festivities typical events are parades, traditional dances and fireworks.

• Main highlight of the festival which happens on December 21 is when pole dancers or Palo Volador as locals call it a death defying performance where they tied themselves in hands or ankles with a rope and scale a 100ft pole.

• Quiche Mayans wore a Spanish mask and costumes while mimicking monkeys leaping, spinning around the pole at high speed, it’s like bungee jumping in the modern day.

Photo By: jabbusch

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