One of the Oaxacan festivities not to be missed is The Guelaguetza, also called the Lunes del Cerro, or "Mondays on the Hill"; this is the largest folklore festival in the Americas . The festival occurs in Oaxaca on the last two Mondays of July and is an event where representatives from the many communities of Oaxaca come together and celebrate the diversity of their traditions and cultures. This annual event has become extremely popular with both nationals and foreigners alike and I dearly
wanted to see it but since our visit was in February I thought I wouldn't have the chance. On our first night in the city, while wandering along the cobble stone streets soaking up the atmosphere we discovered that the Hotel Camino Real puts on a mini-show every Friday night which includes a dinner buffet. What luck, Friday was the following night and we were able to get tickets. Hooray!
The word Guelaguetza means "offering" in the Zapotec language, and its meaning goes far beyond the festival. In traditional Oaxacan villages when there is an occasion for celebration such as a baptism, wedding, or the feast day of the villages' patron saint, the people attending the party will bring items necessary for the celebration: food, alcoholic beverages, etc. Each person's offering, or "guelaguetza" allows the party to take place and becomes part of a reciprocal exchange and is one of the ways social ties are reinforced and maintained through time.
The festival is a series of dances from the 7 different regions with each regional group
wearing their traditional clothing and performing their particular folk dances. The dances range from solemn to rowdy and at the end of each dance, each delegation presents their own 'guelaguetza' to the audience by throwing small fruit, hats, and even coconuts and pineapples. The audience has to be alert to 
catch the gifts and to avoid getting hit by projectiles; pineapples sting the most.
The Friday mini-Guelaguetza that we attended was staged by a troupe of dancers who did lightening quick costume changes and danced all of the regional dances with enthusiasm and grace. It was a colourful, vibrant specatcle and we were glad we had a chance to see it, even if it was only the mini version.
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