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Sections of San Juan Chamula
ARTS AND
CRAFTS
ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS
SHOPPING
This is a
community of Pre-Hispanic origin whose name means "Thick
"Water." The Chamulas have always been a fiercely
independent people. As part of the Tzotzil community, they
resisted the Spanish upon their arrival in 1524 and later
staged a famous rebellion in 1869, attacking the nearby
colonial settlement of San Cristobal. San Juan Chamula takes
a very important position in the history of Mexico as it was
the main battleground during the War of the Castes.
The municipal seat is in San Juan, the name taken from the
patron saint St. John Baptist, protector and guide of the
Chamula people. Located at an altitude of 2,200m above sea
level, this municipality has more than 80.000 inhabitants.
The town of Chamula was founded almost immediately after the
defeat of the Indians Chiapanecas in the battle of 1524.
Three districts (San Juan, San Pedro and San Sebastian) are
those that make up this ceremonial Tzotzil center, located
in a valley that according to beliefs was the place that San
Juan Baptist chose. No only the sacred hills frame the
sacred spaces, but also the crosses, whose meaning is
related to the Christian traditions and the Hispanic roots.
On the side of the main entrance of this town are the ruins
of the Church of San Sebastian. The central plaza is the
seat of the religious and civil authorities, the market and
the Church.
San Juan Chamula is the principal town of the Tzotzils,
being the main religious and economic center of the
community. The most important highlight in San Juan Chamula
is its famous Cathedral San Juan Bautista, inside you sense
that a higher power speaks to you, and you can feel the
sincerity and intensity of the worship. The thick smoke of
incense and burning candles, the murmur of prayers fill the
air. It is completely forbidden to take pictures inside
the Church.
The most important aspect of this community is the magical
atmosphere present inside the main Church; in this church
the Chamulas participate in profound rituals with a devotion
and solemnity unique in the country, introduced by the
evangelists of the XVI century, and adapted to the older
religious traditions. When penetrating this enclosure, the
sensation will begin at the moment one crosses the small
side door that is used on daily basis; letting us to take in
the aroma of the incense and the light of thousands of
flickering candles. The main door is being opened on June 24
only, the day of San Juan.
The small town, about 10 km from San Cristobal, is a key
attraction as part of a tour of local villages around San
Cristobal, and is best experienced with the help of a local
guide, who can give insight and local knowledge that will
help you to make some sense of the distinct culture and
customs practiced here.
Like neighboring Zinacantan the Chamulas enjoy being a
closed community; as other indigenous communities in this
region, they can be identified by the clothes they carry: in
this case distinctive purple and pink colors predominate.
All the clothes they wear are hand made locally. The wool
from the sheep, cleaning, dyes and knitting are all done
"in-house": nothing is purchased externally. Sheep are
sacred here: they are treated, protected and mourned when
passing away as any other member of the family. If you are
driving through this region take extreme precautions with
sheep that may wander into the road.
This Tzotzil community is considered one of most important
of its kind, not only by sheer numbers of population, but by
customs practices here, as well.
NOTE: Is strictly
prohibited to take photos inside the church, and that goes
for ceremonial rituals and pictures of the authorities of
the town. Photos can be taken of the outside, again
excluding of the religious authorities. When taking photos
of the inhabitants, you will have to do it with respect and
their consent. Inside the church it is recommended not to
disturb the rituals and not to trespass the spaces
non-allowed.
ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC
ARCHITECTURE
Church of San Juan Baptist: Composed of a single nave
with ceiling of two waters, cover with cooked mud roof
tiles. The composition of the main facade is similar to the
church in ruins of San Sebastian; the putting with its
middle arc occupies half of the wide of the church, an
extremely ample proportion in relation to the rest of the
façade. However, this was designed with the intention of
allowing the visibility of the altar that is in the
interior, being this an element characteristic of all the
churches of colonial Central America due to the use of jambs
staggered in form of archivolts. In the interior is the main
altar dedicated to San Juan Baptist, the patron saint of the
community and the main nave lacks of pews as this is the
only church for about 80000 inhabitants. The statues of the
saints are distributed throughout all the church in wood
display cabinets.
Ruins of San Sebastian: The old church of San
Sebastian is located exactly in the entrance of the Chamula
community and was built with raw stone. The facade is
covered with a stucco layer which is still conserved and
contains a main door with an arch of half point. The surface
of the facade is totally flat and has integrated four niches
with baroque style influences. Today, the ruins of this
building serve as frame for the cemetery of the community.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
The diversity of crafts produced in this community is very
great, most of them made from lamb wool (the sheep being
considered a sacred animal.) Blouses, bags, shawls, huipils,
and mud objects make up some of the articles.
Typical Garments of San Juan Chamula:
The average altitude of this town is 2,300 m (7,666 feet)
above sea level, which accounts for the predominance of cold
and damp weather throughout the year and therefore most of
the garments are made from wool. Here, the lamb, in addition
to being a sacred animal for appearing the arms of St John,
is also associated with pastoral activities. For this
reason, only the wool is extracted from the sheep.
The fine garments, worn with pride during the festivities in
honor of the patron saint, all made with the back-strap loom
and finished with hand-embroidered motives, are impressive.
For this occasion the men wear "chujes" (long-sleeved woolen
coats without buttons and with an opening on the neck) made
of black wool and tied with a strap of chamois skin, or, for
the civilian authorities, of white wool tied with a buckled
belt. Women wear beautiful brocaded huipils, embroidered and
printed in diverse tones and adorned with tri-colored
ribbons - red, yellow and green symbolizing the three
protectors, Saint Peter, Saint John and Saint Sebastian.
They cover their heads with the traditional black "mochibal"
of ancient tradition - it is like a shawl with red tassels
that can be tied in front, covering the back and shoulders
against the cold, or, in the form of a square, to protect
the head from the sun. Today we are witnessing the
extinction of the mochibal for several reasons, the primary
one being the amount of time required for its creation. It
is being replaced by the use of other garments, such as
factory-made blue shawls for everyday use.
Women also wear a black skirt or wrap-around of two pieces
of linen joined and held in place with a red sash of
pre-Hispanic origin, with a European tailored-blouse, in
blue or white satin with an embroidered strip on the neck
and sleeves - which is nowadays purchased in San Cristobal.
FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS
-
Carnival Chamula "K'in Tajimoltic":
It is celebrated four days before Ash Wednesday, in
this festivity the Chamulas conclude the celestial cycle
in agreement with the old Mayan calendar. All the three
neighborhoods participate and are in charge of
organizing and paying for everything that it is required
for the celebration. Among the things the civil
authorities have to pay for we can mention the
well-known sacred drink "posh" (made from sugar cane and
maize). The most important personages of this carnival
are: Pasiones, comisarios, maltajimoles y xinolanes o
Nana María KoKorina. Tuesday of the carnival is the last
day, and now takes place one of the strangest rituals of
Mexico, the corporal purification, in the fountains of
San Sebastian and San Pedro, as well as the spiritual
purification that consists of walking on coals.
-
Holy Week:
(March or April), processions, celebration of masses
throughout the state. In some towns, the burning of
Judas ritual takes place - represented by paper maché
figures and cartoons of historical or contemporary
personalities.
-
Celebration of San Juan Baptist:
This is another of the most important and awaited
festivities by the community and takes place from June
24 to 26 in honor to community’s patron saint Juan
Baptist. These days are celebrated by special masses and
processions of the saint towards the different districts
of the community.
-
National Independence Day:
Celebrated on September 16 with the Mayor presiding
over the traditional ceremony of "El Grito" (the Shout
of Independence.)
-
Day of the dead:
It is celebrated the first of November and it has a
magical and spiritual character, in addition this is a
celebration for the families.
SHOPPING
If you are
interested in acquiring crafts from this community it is
recommended to acquire them in the “tianguis” artisan market
located on the side of the municipal palace.
For prices, reservations, availability and bookings, please
contact us at:
visit@luxuriousmexico.com
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