Oaxaca - The Guelaguetza: "Guelaguetza" is not only the annual dance of the 7 regions of Oaxaca that so many tourist come to see but actually refers to the tradition in the small towns of Oaxaca of the returning of a favor or gifts that a person or a family gives to another. I didn't know this until living in Tlacolula for 4 years and attending weddings there.
The Guelaguetza tradition, in this case, consists of gifting a couple with a contribution to their wedding party, (which can sometimes last for more than three days), of cases of beer, turkeys, music, or any other element of a typical wedding party. The family of the ones getting married make a list of what one contributes to the wedding party and when the time comes for someone in the other family to get married, they call upon those who they have given to in the past and ask for their Guelaguetza. The family that once received is now obligated to give and, in most cases, to give more. So if you took 6 cases of beer and 3 turkeys to their son's wedding a year ago then they would come to your wedding party with 8 cases of beer and 5 turkeys.
And this is what the Guelaguetza truly is but in Oaxaca they gave the name to the yearly gathering of folkloric dance groups from the 7 regions of Oaxaca which fill the Guelaguetza auditorium with the color and music.
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