Todos Santos Cuchumatan

Todos Santos Cuchumatan is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango. It is situated in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes 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 Cuchumatan, 6 villages, and 69 smaller rural communities, called caserios, parajes, and cantones. The village of San Martin Cuchumatan 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, of Mayan descent, most of whom still speak the Mayan language 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 on November 1 ("Todos Santos" translates to "all saints" in English). Festivities include traditional dances, marimba 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.

Juan Dieguez Olaverri viewpoint.
This beautiful viewpoint is located in Chiantla in the department of Huehuetenango. At the top, you can read in nine monuments the verses of the incredible poet Juan Dieguez Olaverri, originally of the department, in his honor the viewpoint has his name.

Juan Diéguez Olaverri (Huehuetenango, November 26, 1813 – Guatemala City, June 28, 1866) was a Guatemalan poet and jurist. His work is integrated by 54 original poems.

Down the main street.
Down the main street towards the market and church.

Typical male costume.
The population of Todos Santos has kept the suit 100% since parents instruct their children from birth to wear it in such a way that they feel proud of their town and by keeping the suit they differentiate them from the entire Guatemalan population and even at this time the Todos Santos woman has been modernizing the embroideries of each dress, using the representative colors of the town, as well as the authorities, schools and entities that make up this municipality urge the inhabitants to feel proud of their roots and it is in this way that the population has not lost the habit and they have proudly maintained the suit, and in this way they have preserved the same.

The central market.
Since the main production is agriculture, it is a municipality where the entire population is dedicated to planting a diversity of crops such as: coffee, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, milpa, etc., altitude and climate are determining factors.

The municipality is made up of a calcareous plateau, above 3,000 meters, with a cold climate, whose main population center is Chichim. Here, the population is dispersed, herds of sheep or cows are common and the way to get around is on horseback.
The most important crop in this zone is the sowing of potatoes.

Church exterior.

Church interior.
The church of Todos Santos Cuchumatan is dedicated to the worship of All Saints (Todos Santos: in honor of 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 known or unknown.
In the Western Christian practice, the liturgical celebration begins with its first Vespers on the evening of 31 October, All Hallows' Eve (All Saints' Eve), and ends at the compline of 1 November. It is thus the day before All Souls' Day, which commemorates the faithful departed. In many traditions, All Saints' Day is part of the season of Allhallowtide, which includes the three days from 31 October to 2 November inclusive, and in some denominations, such as Anglicanism, extends to Remembrance Sunday. In places where All Saints' Day is observed as a public holiday but All Souls' Day is not, cemetery and grave rituals such as offerings of flowers, candles and prayers or blessings for the graves of loved ones often take place on All Saints Day.
At Todos Santos Cuchumatan the annual festival is celebrated on October 31–November 2, and is centered on All Saints' Day on November 1 ("Todos Santos" translates to "all saints" in English). Festivities include traditional dances, marimba 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.
See more at All Saints' Day - Wikipedia.