Festival of Santa Elena

Every January, starting after the three kings day January 6th begins the annual festival of Santa Elena celebrating their patron saint ,St Mathew.
Its a fun and sometimes solom occasion, filling two and a half weeks of burning of the bull (quemando del toro) Ko,oches and finishes with the dance of the pig (baile de cochino). With evening dances thrown in and the famous dish of negro relleno and chilies smoking up the area .

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There is so much activity it makes your head spin wondering where the next one is going to take place…

Preparing the firework display

This goes on top of a paper mache bull where someone carries it on his head then dashes into the crowd fireworks blazing

The park where the bull with be doing his stuff… I put this on to show all the orbs. Pretty neat

But all in all it is a very colourful event with the best of the huipiles (traditional dresses of the ladies)coming out of the closet .Young and old alike partake in the occasion which I was told by one of the locals that it is a tradition going back a

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Of course in those days there were no pigs or turkeys .I was told the animals that they used for the dance were maybe deer and other wild animals from the jungle.
It is hard to find out the real history behind it as now it is just something they do.I wish I could find out the real reasoning for all of this…. If anyone reading my blog maybe you know and can fill me in .I am sure it would make interesting reading.