The Guelaguetza or Monday of the Hill celebration in Oaxaca state is another fine example of the varied and colorful roots of popular culture in Mexico. pineapple dance from the Papaloapan region The name guelaguetza comes from the Zapotec, where it means the greatest of courtesies. The indigenous peoples of Mexico are very community oriented; the guelaguetza is one of many examples of ritualized exchanges of gifts. The Zapotecs assist one another in agriculture, building houses for newlyweds, childbirth and deaths, as well as celebrating patron saints (which can be costly and labor-intensive). The names of the people participating in any given event are taken down, so that the recipients of their kindness can repay the courtesy at some future date. The agricultural guelaguetza is especially valued, as it is the only way many families are able to plant and harvest crops, for they cannot pay additional workers. Between 1501 and 1502, the Mexica Lord Ahuízotl colonized the Zapotec and Mixtec lands and sent military garrisons to protect the traders or pochtecas who had to cross their lands bearing tributes, taxes and wares from Central America to the Great Tenochtitlan. One of these garrisons was set up on Monte de Bellavista. The abundance of gourds (called guajes in Nahuatl) in this area is believed to be the origin of the state's name, Oaxaca. The Mexicas brought with them their own religious ceremonies. In July, they honored Centéotl, Corn Goddess; Xilonen, the Goddess of Tender Ears of Corn; and Huitzilopochtli, God of War. These rituals began with a meal offered to everyone. On the tenth day of the month, after singing and dancing, a maiden, dressed to represent the Corn Goddess, was sacrificed and her heart offered to the deity. The festival went on for nine days. Huitzilopochtli was honored toward the end of July with offerings of flowers. In 1521, the Spaniards in turn conquered the Mexicas and the pantheon of Mexica gods and goddesses became associated with Catholic saints and manifestations of the virgin, as in the case of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The teocalli (as the Mexicas called their temples) devoted to Centéotl, Xilonen, and Huitzilopochtli became the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, and the Carmelites built a church there in 1679. The Oaxacan Folklore Society reports that the indigenous population still gathered on the hill each July 16th to honor the old gods. The pragmatic Catholic missionaries decided to move the festivities in honor of the Virgen del Carmen (Saint Carmen or the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel) to the Sunday closest to that date, and to hold a secularized indigenous fiesta on the next Monday. In the 17th century, the local celebrations in honor of Saint Carmen began with a mass and a procession climbing the hill. Many dressed in indigenous costumes and danced to the huéhuetl and teponaztles (indigenous drums). The Tarasca, a dragon-serpent made of paper and cloth with men inside to animate it (similar to the ones used in China and Vietnam to celebrate the New Year) joined the parade. Little Tarascas were made for children to play with during the fiesta. In 1741, the Tarasca was banned by Bishop Tomás Montaño, who argued that it scared the people attending the virgin's celebration. He replaced it with the Dance of the Giants: three couples, one indigenous, one Spanish and one black, performed in the churchyard before the gathered townspeople. marmotas The year 1932 marked the 400th anniversary since the royal charter of King Charles V created the Villa de Antequera, now Oaxaca. The celebration committee decided to hold a Racial Homage, as a tribute from the indigenous groups throughout the state to the capital city. The Cerro de Bellavista, renamed Cerro del Fortín after several revolutionary battles took place there, was chosen as the site. The festivities began with indigenous craftspeople giving the wares of their region to the gathered guests, a modern form of guelaguetza, although it was not until 1951 that this name was adopted for the Monday of the Hill celebrations. Ever since then, the Guelaguetza has been held on the two Mondays following July 16th (except if these coincide with the 18th, the date on which Benito Juárez died). By 1974, this fiesta had become so popular that an amphitheater seating 11,000 people was erected. The modern day Guelaguetza includes dances, costumes, and music from the seven regions of the state: the Central valleys, the Sierra Juárez, the Cañada, the Papaloapan, the Mixteca, the Coast and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. A crafts fare offers a wealth of popular art forms and the excellent regional cuisine. The celebration begins on the previous Saturday with the Calendas, a parade led by Marmotas (large lanterns made of cane, paper and cloth, in the form of a star or sphere and appearing to float in the air), monigotes (giant puppets with people inside manipulating them) and the dancers of the seven regions. Everyone is invited to join in the parade. feather dance On Sunday, the Queen of the Guelaguetza is elected to represent the Goddess Centéotl; she is chosen for her ethnic roots and knowledge of tradition. That night, the Bani Stui Gulal (Repetition of Antiquity) is performed to narrate the history of this colorful event over the centuries. At five am on Monday morning, the birthday song "Las Mañanitas" is played to the hill with pre-Hispanic whistles, chirimías and drums, while fireworks light the skies, summoning the people for the fiesta. The legend of the last Zapotec princess, Donaji, who died to save her people from the Mixtecs, is enacted. The festival of dance ends with the Feather Dance, a variation on pre-Hispanic rites honoring the three Mexica gods of corn and war. Regional costumes, dances, music, crafts, cuisine, and traditions make this one of the most festive, colorful and popular showcases for Mexican culture. Nowadays, the massive event is organized by the state Department of Tourism. President Ernesto Zedillo and Mrs. Nilda Patricia Velasco de Zedillo attended the fiesta in 1997. Oaxaca's Web Community and the state Radio and Television Corporation (CORTV) will transmit the audio of the Guelaguetza LIVE on Internet. Go to http://oaxaca.com/cortv/ Sources: La Guelaguetza, fiesta del lunes del cerro, by Sonia Iglesias, published by the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares, Mexico, 1995. Department of Tourism for the State of Oaxaca http://www.oaxaca.gob.mx/sedetur/