Zinacantan
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Zinacantan is a municipality in the southern part of the Central Highlands in the Mexican state of Chiapas. About 98% of its population is tsotsil (also spelled tzotzil), which is an ethnic group belonging to the Mayan family.
Zinacantan literally means "land of bats" and comes from the Nahuatl language. People in Zinacantan speak tsotsil (a Mayan language) and they call their own land "Sots'leb", that is, "land of bats" in their own language.
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[edit] Population
- More than 30.000 inhabitants (2006).
- Density: 21,83 inhab./km².
[edit] Situation
- Altitude: 2.558 meters.
- Latitude: 16º 45' N
- Longitude: 092º 42' O
[edit] Traditional charges and feasts in Zinacantan
Many feasts are celebrated during the year. In every feast men are in charge of the celebration -- they are: martomoetik, alperesetik and moletik. The first two of these three names are loan words from the Spanish "mayordomos" and "alférez", respectively. They have to pay whatever is needed in order to celebrate the feasts. These three kinds of "cargos" (charges) are in fact a hierarchy. They constitute an ascending scale in the same order as they are described below. One can never become one of the moletik if he hasn't been a martomo first and then an alperes. These charges are just for men, although their wives have important roles in their husbands' charges. There are twelve martomoetik, twelve alperesetik and six moletik, who are chosen by the inhabitants of Zinacantan every year. Each one has a different feast assigned to him during the year, although they each have to assist in every feast throughout the year.
The martomoetik are those in charge to buy whatever is needed for the feast within the church (flowers, candles, pine leaves, etc.). The alperesetik are those who buy and prepare everything needed for the feast outside the church: fireworks, kameró (which is a sort of "bomb" or explosive that they use at certain moments of the feast in order to emphasize its importance), etc. The moletik are the elders who are in charge of teaching the youngsters how to organize the feast. Three days before of the very day of the feast they begin to celebrate by wearing their traditional clothes and performing the corresponding traditional rites.
The patron saint of Zinacantan is San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence) whose feast day is August 10th. This traditional feast lasts four days (from August 8th until 10th). The feast of Saint Sebastian, January 20th, is also important in Zinacantan. In fact, Saint Sebastian's feast lasts from January 18th until 22nd. There are also many other feasts which are less important: Epiphany on January 6th, Our Lady of the Candelaria on February 2nd, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Pentecost, Saint Dominic on August 4th, Saint Matthiew on September 22nd, Christmas, and many others.
[edit] History of Zinacantan
In ancient times before the Conquerors' arrival, Zinacantan already had strong links with the Aztecs in the Central Zone of Mexico. Zinacantecans exchanged their products (salt, amber, etc.) with Aztec traders.
The first missionaries who came to evangelize the native inhabitants in Zinacantan were the Dominican Friars (also known as The Order of Preachers.) They settled in Zinacantan in the XVI century and built a wooden chapel to begin their mission. These missionaries left Zinacantan before they were expelled from Mexico by the government in the XVIII century. They resumed their pastoral work in Zinacantan in 1976.
More information on the Spanish Wikipedia link Zinacantán
This article was redacted by a non English native speaker, so feel free to make all the corrections needed to improve it please.
