Tecún Umán Day

Girl in Tecún Umán Parade

On February 20^th, I was taking a tuk-tuk home with groceries from one of the two gringo supermarkets, Pana Super (they have the best croissants in town), when we drove into a huge traffic jam. Traffic had basically come to a dead halt due to a parade of young children dressed in traditional indigenous costumes. There were also gaudily decorated pickup trucks carrying lovely exquisitely outfitted young women seated on throne-like chairs.

One of the picop trucks carrying a reina (queen)

La Reina

I didn’t have my camera with me so I paid off the tuk-tuk driver and raced home on foot. When I returned to the center of town, the parade was still winding its way through Calle Principal (the main street). I had a great time weaving through the trails of adorned school children and tailing the reinas (queens) on the picops.

Lines of children with their teacher (left) in Panajachel

Close-up of the girls. Notice their beautifully
embroidered blouses and skirts.

The boys with their hats. They loved being photographed.

I found out later that they were celebrating the anniversary of Tecún Umán’s death. The last ruler and king of the K’iche-Maya people, Tecún Umán died courageously in a hand-to-hand combat with the Spanish Conquistador Don Pedro de Alvarado on February 20, 1524 close to Quetzaltenango (known as Xela) in the western highlands. Due to his bravery, devotion and ultimate sacrifice to his people, Tecún Umán was declared a Guatemalan national hero in 1960. In Panajachel, it has become tradition for school children from the neighboring villages to parade in indigenous Kaqchikel garb. Selected for her eloquence in the Kaqchikel dialect, good looks, and academic standing, one young woman rides on a picop as the reina of her school. Sometimes she is accompanied by ladies-in-waiting.

La Reina and her ladies-in-waiting