The Guelaguetza Festival, also know as “Los Lunes del Cerro” or “Mondays on the Hill”, is the festival most representative of the marvelous state of Oaxaca.
The origins of this world famous festival appear to lie in the colonial era, closely related to the festival of Corpus of the Temple of Carmen Alto.   This celebration in the era of New Spain would take place on the Monday following the 16th of July, and then again eight days later, which they called “la octava”, or “the eighth”.

The indigenous people of the town jealously guarded their traditions, giving special emphasis to a celebration in which great offerings and honor were paid to Centeotl, the goddess of sweet corn. However the collision of cultures due to the era of conquest and colonization was to transform the idiosyncrasy of the indigenous people, causing over the passing of time a blending of ideas and beliefs, and thus two very different cultures gave life to a festival in which all of Oaxaca participates, proudly celebrating the heritage of their predecessors and glorifying the union of the townships which all were born under the same sky.

Guelaguetza of the Lunes del Cerro, is the offering that is made by the representative groups of the seven traditional regions to the city of Oaxaca. These regions are the central valley region, Sierra Juarez, La Canada, Tuxtepec, La Mixteca, La Costa and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, all of which form representative delegations to display their cultural patrimony through dance, lively music, traditional song and full regional dress. The word Guelaguetza is a Zapotec word which means to participate cooperatively: a gift which holds no obligation other than reciprocity. As each delegation finishes its artistic presentation, they give out to the members of the public their own  Guelaguetza , made up of characteristic objects from their respective regions

Other folkloric shows have recently been incorporated into the Guelaguetza festivals, much to the delight of the public. One example is the delegation parade, which is organized according to the traditional calendar, and takes place on the Saturday before each Monday. A large round lantern covered in material called “la Marmota” leads the parade, followed by the “giants” and the “Oaxacan pebbles”, women from the city carrying baskets overflowing with beautiful flowers, accompanied by a musical band and the joyful fireworks masters. The rest of the delegations follow the procession, each one preceded by traditional music from its region.

In the course of the morning of that same Saturday, a contest is held in the historical center.  A representative of the goddess Centéotl is chosen, who will preside over the festivities, and who, for this honor, will be accompanied by 7 women that represent the chosen one’s region. The participants do not compete in a beauty contest per say, despite dressing proudly and sumptuously in their regional dress and displaying their great beauty. The worthy representative of the “goddess of sweet corn” shall be the one who best represents their region and who is most familiar with their traditions.

The  Bani stui gulal , which means “repeat of antiquity”, is a presentation which takes place on the Sunday night, explaining the history of the Lunes del Cerro throughout the ages. Some hours later, at 5:00 am on Monday morning, the “chirimiteros”of the central valleys play the song “Las Mananitas”with whistles, drums and maracas until the night gives in to the heat of the rising sun. People go to the hill, they enjoy a succulent Oaxacan breakfast before entering the auditorium where the audience is invited to a preview of the marimba and chirimiteros, and at 10:00 am the Guelaguetza begins. And as night falls in the auditorium there is a presentation of the legend of Princess Donaji; daughter of the Zapotec King Cosijoeza and the Mexican princess Coyolicatzin.
 Between the first Monday and “the eighth” there are many different activities, such as food shows, craft shows, sports events, exhibitions, concerts and presentations of the customs and traditions. On “the eighth”, or the second Lunes del Cerro, the delegation parade, the  Bani stui gulal , the  Guelaguetza  and the  Legend of the Princess Donají  are repeated.
The Guelaguetza of the Lunes del Cerro is an incomparable event, of wide reaching cultural influence for Oaxaca and the world, attracting thousands of visitors to a multicolored cultural cradle whose charm never fails to delight.

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