Instituto diversificado por cooperativa de enseñanza Emanuel

NAME: Luis Daniel Cruz Olayo

SECTION: A

KEY: 12

SUBJECT: ENGLISH

ACTIVITY: GUATEMALAN CULRES

TEACHER: ALEJANDRO
 1. Festival of giant kites in Santiago

The Day of the Dead does not only involve visits to the cemetery and the famous
fiambre in Guatemala. Another of the most popular traditions in the country on
November 1 is to go to the Santiago Festival to see its impressive giant kites.
Tradition is based on the fact that these huge barrels, 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 guides lost souls. The importance of this festival of giant kites is
so great 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 to schedule your trip with Uber to arrive on time and not miss a second of
the event.
 2. The dance of the flying stick

The dance of the flying stick, in Quiché, is a tradition in which it is placed in a huge
tree trunk in a revolving structure, from which various dancers drop, throwing
themselves from above while they dance and spin.

These dancers represent the legend of the Popol Vuh of the twins Hunbatz and
Hunchouén, who were transformed into monkeys as punishment for having wished
the death of their younger brothers.
 3. Belejeb B'atz: the day of the Mayan woman

Another of the traditions that can be seen in Guatemala comes from the ancient
Mayans. The Belejeb B'atz is the day of the Mayan woman, which is celebrated
every 260 days (based on the lunar calendar of this civilization).

This celebration celebrates the day on which, according to Mayan mythology,

women were created, as well as the important role that this civilization gave to
women. It represents the vital energy, the wisdom, the beautiful and the faithful, the
creation and the mystery. The women dress up for a party and Mayan ceremonies
are held in honor of indigenou s mot hers.

4. The burning of the bull

Originating after the Spanish conquest, in this tradition a wooden bull covered with
different types of fireworks is made, to later be placed on top of a man who dances
while chasing passers-by once the pyrotechnic elements are lit. It is usually held in
front of churches.
 5. Devil's Burn

This tradition takes place every December 7, at 6 in the afternoon, and

a devil-shaped piñata is burned. The objective of this tradition is to
purify sins and bad things that have happened during the year.

6. The Top of May

Also known as the Dance of the Flowers, it is one of the best-known dances in the
Jalapa region. It is a celebration that expresses love and admiration for spring, as
well as asking for the arrival of good harvests. In this dance several dancers dance
around a tree trunk, tying and braiding colored ribbons and ribbons to later untwist
them while they dance.
 7. Preparation of cold cuts

Probably one of the best-known dishes in Guatemalan gastronomy is fiambre, a

traditional and highly multicultural dish in which we find a large number of
ingredients, mostly vegetables and sausages (although sometimes cheeses, fish
and shellfish are incorporated)

There are numerous regional variants, being especially known the red fiambre and
the white fi ambre, and it is generally made for the Day of the Dead celebrations.

8. The bull dance

Although its name resembles the burning of the bull, it is a different tradition.

It is a dance in which several dancers, dressed as various characters, represent a

traditional story about cattle ranching in which several cowboys wanted to fight a
bull but their foreman would not allow it, something that made the cowboys get him
drunk and finally the foreman ends up dying at the hands of his bravest bull. This
dance lasts ten hours a day for ten days, in which the participants dress in very
colorful costumes and masks, with Mayan mythological elements.
 9. The bankruptcy of shells

Tradition typical of Carnival day, it is based on the idea of ​ ​ decorating egg

shells and filling them with flour or confetti in order to break them in the heads of
the rest of the people. These shells are usually prepared as a family or in a
community, often starting on February 2.

10. Holy Week

10. Holy Week

Holy Week is a tradition present internationally, being very important in Guatemala.

This week is lived with the family, with a high presence of processions and
religious events. Among the more specific traditions we can find the making of
carpets with sawdust of different colors, often with intricate ornamental motifs,
through which processions pass.