Mondays on the Hill: Colorful Paper Balloons Fly in Oaxaca's Guelaguetza Festival The Quint
go to original July 27, 2015

Mexico's Guelaguetza Festival is an 83-year-old traditional festival drawing thousands of visitors for the folk dances as well as parades, marching bands and crafts.

Dozens of giant, brightly colored paper balloons were flown by participants from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.

The Guelaguetza, or Los lunes del cerro (Mondays on the Hill) is an annual indigenous cultural event in Mexico that takes place in the city of Oaxaca, capital of the state of Oaxaca, as well as in nearby villages. The celebration centers on traditional dancing in costume in groups, often gender-separated groups, as is traditional, and includes parades complete with indigenous walking bands, native food, and statewide artisanal crafts such as prehispanic-style textiles.

Each year the Guelaguetza is celebrated on the two Mondays immediately following July 16, except when the first Monday falls on July 18, the day on which Benito Juárez the great Zapotec leader and first indigenous president of Mexico died. Out of respect for Oaxaca's most revered native son, the celebrations are postponed for one week, falling on July 25 and August 1 (as occurred in 2011). However, side events associated with the festival, such as concerts and plays, are held all during the month of July. (Wikipedia)

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