Guelaguetza, or as it is also called Monday on the Hill, is a holiday celebrated in Mexico on the last two Mondays of July. Every year Mexicans look forward to this day.
According to the tradition established over the years, the center of the celebration of Monday on the hill is the small Mexican town of Oaxaca. An amphitheater was built there specifically for this merry holiday.
The history of Guelaguetza begins in pre-Hispanic times, when the ancestors of today's Mexicans staged festivities in honor of Centeotl, the goddess of corn. In general, Centeotl is considered the god of maize among the Aztecs. He was often portrayed as a boy carrying corn on the cob in his shoulder bag. There were tribes where he was portrayed with agricultural attributes in his hands. This god had a double in the form of a woman, her name was Chicomecoatl. Most likely, she is revered these days by the Mexicans, only under the name Centeotl.
The beginning of the annual festivities of Guelaguetza is 1932, in which the city of Oaxaca celebrated its 400th birthday. Since then, this wonderful tradition has gone.
All the townspeople gather for the celebration, people from neighboring villages come. All those present dress up in national costumes, sewn with their own hands. All day people dance, have fun, congratulate each other, drink. Oaxaca is the only city in Mexico where mezcal, a type of tequila, is prepared. All festive events take place in the city amphitheater, where Mexican tunes are played all day. Craftsmen come from different places offering visitors to the festivities to buy their goods. Some cook national dishes right on the street and sell them to everyone. All kinds of entertainment events are held in the amphitheater itself. There you can also watch the production of Bani Stuya Gulal, which tells about Princess Donahy, as well as how the ancestors celebrated this day.
At the end of the festivities, the queen of Guelaguetza is chosen. Any woman can participate in the competition. The choice falls on the one who knows the customs, traditions and local history best of all.
