guanche
Day of Saint Thomas
The full name of the city of Santo Tomás Chichicastenango Chichicastenango, a town with a majority of indigenous people who speak Quiché. 93% of the population are mother tongue speakers. Only 7% are native Spanish speakers. But their religion is Catholic, since the time of the Spanish conquest. Evangelism is changing now, but the pattern of the city remains Santo Tomas. Throughout the year in the little church of St. Thomas, near Chichicastenango market, people come here to pray, to make traditional Mayan rituals, a curious mixture for a Catholic place of worship, but it is tolerated by the church.
December 21 is the day of St. Thomas, one of the biggest parties in town. The saint is taken out of the church and processed through the village. Processions are a mix of Mayan and Catholic tradition. The feathers, smoke, prayers and holy calling, very different from hispanised regions such as Antigua Guatemala. Then in front of the church you can see the flying pole, another tradition of the people, a boy climbs a high pole and jumps gripping a rope.
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