January 15th is a special day in Teotitlán del Valle, where the people of the community celebration the feast day of the Black Christ of Esquipulas, Guetemala. The figure is thought to be a scrinconism of the Catholic Christ figure and the Mayan diety Ek Chuah or Bo'ox Laci-Tah, who is often painted black in Mayan codices; is a merchant and patron diety of cacao. With the arrival of the Spanairds and the Catholic religion in the 1500s, the Black Christ was adopted as an important and miraculous religous figure in the community of Esquipulas.
The story is a statue of Christ in Esquipulas was hidden in mines or exposed to excessive smoke from candles left in its adoration, others think it´s black color has to do with the associated Mayan diety´s black color. People in Teotitlán celebrate this figure every year on January 15th by visiting their godparents and briging gifts. Many of the eleders in the community have made a walking pilgramage to the church of Esquipulas which is 1,180 kilometers away (one way). We will visit the special market day where coffeee plants, noche buenas (poinsettas), lima trees, and necklaces made from fragrant white flowers rosita de cacao which residents of the community will gift to their godparents on this day.
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Cost per person: $185 USD/3,330 MXN (Open Outing 2-6 participants)
Includes:
Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)
Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (40 minutes each way)
Visit to regional market
Breakfast at the market of local delicacies like chotolate atole, tamales, memelas, and tepache. This date marks a special market where people are selling coffee and lima trees, nochebuenas, and necklaces made of rosita de cacao to gift to their godparents on this important day for the community
Cooking class of regional dishes with a cocinera tradicional utilizing 4 types heirloom corn grown on site and traditional tools such as the comal and metate
Enjoying the lunch that we cook accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal
Rug weaving and natural dye demonstration
Option to visit a beeswax candle maker´s workshop or Tule tree
Drinking water and light snacks
Donation to women's cooperative annual project