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The Guelaguetza party triggers massive state-wide celebrations.

Oaxaca's Festivities

Fiestas are an integral part of Oaxaca's folklore, and are often the best way for visitors to immerge themselves into the local culture.

In the state of Oaxaca, each town has its own catholic virgin, and thus its own day to celebrate it. Christmas, All Saints Day, Constitution Day, Workers Day, Easters and the New Year are opportunities for state-wide parades, but national Heroes, historical victories and even defeats warrant their own dances and street parties. In addition, each neighborhood has a community celebration, and each family commemorate its own births, baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals, usually by inviting the whole neighborhood, if not the entire village.

Guelaguetza

Each village organizes its own festival

But the celebration that triggers the most fervor in Oaxaca is undoubtedly the Guelaguetza party, on the first two Mondays following July 16. On these days, representatives from each village bring products from their region to share with other communities, or give to the one in needs. This "reciprocity party", as Guelaguetza is also called, is based on a pre-Hispanic tradition when indigenous were thanking the Gods for the new harvest with music and dances.