sprawling labyrinth of stalls may seem chaotic, but the market is highly organized, with traditional areas designated for specific types of goods. Visitors can find a huge selection of goods, including textiles (particularly women’s blouses), hand carved masks, handicrafts, food, flowers, medicinal plants, pigs and chickens, machetes, and much more.
Adding to the chaotic racket of the firecrackers is the scent of the incense which is burned in abundance on the steps of the church, drifting over the bustling throng of traders and visitors. On Sunday, travellers will have the added delight of watching the cofradias (local members of the religious brotherhood) have processions in and around the church.
The Church
Forming the centre of the community, the 400 year old church of Santo Tomas demonstrates the strong Masheno (local townsfolk) beliefs in pre-Christian religion and ceremony. Each of the 18 church steps represents one of the 20-day months in the Mayan calendar. There is a strong sense of shamanism and ritual in Chichicastenango, with the church used for shamanic rituals, burning incense, candles and, on special occasions, even chickens!
The festival
Around Christmas time in the 3rd week of December, the town hosts the added excitement of the masked and costumed dancers of the Dance of the Conquest, a satirising carnival pageant on the conquering of the Americas. The streets of the town are filled in a riotous cacophony of color, dialects and costumes, smoke, and smells that challenge the realms of imagination. Images of the patron saint Tomas are paraded through the streets, strong smells of incense pour from the church and the sounds of firecrackers, rockets, drums and brass bands assault your senses from all