Todos Santos Cuchumatán () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

n department of

Huehuetenango Huehuetenango () is a city and municipality in the highlands of western Guatemala. It is also the capital of the department of Huehuetenango. The city is situated from Guatemala City, and is the last departmental capital on the Pan-American Hi ...

. It is situated in the

Sierra de los Cuchumatanes The Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, in western Guatemala, is the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. Etymology The name "Cuchumatán" is derived from the Mam words ''cuchuj'' (to join or unite) and ''matán'' (with superior forc ...

at an elevation of 2,500 m (about 8,000 ft). The municipality covers an area of approximately 269 km² and is formed by the town of Todos Santos Cuchumatán, 6 villages, and 69 smaller rural communities, called ''caserios'', ''parajes'', and ''cantones''. The village of San Martin Cuchumatán is the second largest urbanized centre in the municipality of Todos Santos. San Martin is also the agricultural heart of the Cuchumateca valley which produces crops like potatoes, broccoli and large scale cultivation of coffee on the lower mountain slopes of the municipality. The population of Todos Santos is predominantly

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

, of

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

descent, most of whom still speak the

Mayan language Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

of Mam. The town is one of few places in Guatemala where indigenous men still wear their traditional clothing, along with the women. An annual festival is celebrated on October 31–November 2, and is centered on

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are know ...

on November 1 ("Todos Santos" translates to "all saints" in English). Festivities include traditional dances,

marimba The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...

music and the famous horse races. The horse races are often the scene of mayhem and bloodshed due to the riders' penchant to drink alcohol for days leading up to the races even though the mayor banned the selling of hard alcohol in May 2008. In May 2000, a group of tourists from Japan and a bus driver were attacked by a large mob after members of the group took pictures of local children. The Guatemalan bus driver was doused with gasoline and burned to death, and one member of the Japanese tour group was stoned to death. Two other tourists were injured along with two police officers. While visiting the market in Todos Santos, travelers are advised to exercise discretion when taking photographs. It is important to respect the privacy and cultural sensitivities of the local Mayan community. Photography of individuals—particularly children—should only be done with explicit permission. A notable incident occurred in 2000, when a misunderstanding involving a tourist resulted in a fatality. Persistent local rumors regarding child abduction have contributed to heightened concerns, and as a result, residents are understandably protective of their families. To prevent miscommunication or unintended offense, visitors are encouraged to seek consent before taking photographs.

References

*Pancorbo, Luis (1989) ""Fiesta en Todos Santos" en "Los viajes del girasol". pp. 141–149. Mondadori, Madrid.

External links

Todos Santos Cuchumatan - photographic essay of the town and its peopleVideos of The "Skach Koyl" or the Todos Santos horse race
* ttp://www.travellog.com/guatemala/todossantoshorserace/ Commentary and history of The "Skach Koyl" or the Todos Santos horse race

Other resources

*''Two Crosses of Todos Santos'' by

Maud Oakes Maud Van Cortlandt Oakes (1903–1990) was an ethnologist, artist and writer who published her research into the cultures of indigenous tribes in the Americas, including the Navajo of the American Southwest and the Mam of Guatemala. She is best kn ...

, at the

Open Library Open Library is an online project intended to create "one web page for every book ever published". Created by Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Alexis Rossi, Anand Chitipothu, and Rebecca Hargrave Malamud, Open Library is a project of the Internet ...

*''Beyond the Windy Place'' by Maud Oakes, at the Open Library *
Todos Santos Cuchumantan: Report from a Guatemalan Village
' *

'

Image gallery

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