Chichicastenango facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chichicastenango
Municipality
Iglesia de Santo Tomás
Nickname(s):  Chichi
Chichicastenango Location in Guatemala
Country	Guatemala
Department	El Quiché
Municipality	Chichicastenango
Government
• Type	Municipal
Area
• Municipality	270 km2 (100 sq mi)
Elevation	1,965 m (6,447 ft)
Population  (Census 2018)
• Municipality	141,567
• Urban	71,394
• Ethnicities	K'iche' people (98.5%) Ladino (1.5%)
• Religions	Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya
Climate	Cwb
Website	Chichicastenango online

Chichicastenango, also called Santo Tomás Chichicastenango, is a lively town in Guatemala. It's located in the mountains, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of Guatemala City. The town sits high up, at an altitude of 1,965 meters (6,447 feet).

The name "Chichicastenango" was given by Spanish explorers and their allies. It comes from a word meaning "City of Nettles." Before that, its original name was Chaviar.

Chichicastenango is a very important place for the K'iche' Maya culture. Most of the people living here are indigenous K'iche' Maya. Many speak both K'iche' and Spanish.

Market Days

Chichicastenango Market

Chichicastenango is famous for its busy market days. These happen every Thursday and Sunday. Vendors come to sell all sorts of interesting things.

You can find beautiful handmade crafts, fresh food, and colorful flowers. They also sell pottery, wooden boxes, and spices. You might see medicinal plants, candles, and traditional incense called pom and copal. People also buy limestone for making tortillas, tools like machetes, and even farm animals like pigs and chickens.

The market is a great place to find textiles, especially blouses worn by women. You can also buy masks used in traditional dances, like the "Dance of the Conquest."

Church of Santo Tomás

Right next to the market is the Church of Santo Tomás. This church is very old, about 400 years old! It was built on top of an ancient Maya temple platform. The steps leading up to the church are still special to the local people.

K'iche' Maya priests use the church for their ceremonies. They burn incense and candles. Sometimes, for very special rituals, they even burn a chicken. The church has 18 steps, and each step stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.

Another important place nearby is the Cofradia of Pascual Abaj. This is an old carved stone that is also used for Maya ceremonies. The Chichicastenango Regional Museum is also located on the church grounds.

Chichicastenango in Music

This town has inspired several songs!

• "Chichicastenango" by Xavier Cugat (1937)
• "In Chi-Chi Castenango" by Edmundo Ros
• "In the Land of The Maya" by Lennie Gallant

Also, in the musical Bye Bye Birdie, a character named Rosie jokingly sings about being famous in Chichicastenango.

Geography

Chichicastenango includes the main town and 81 smaller communities in the countryside. Some nearby villages are Paquixic, Chucam, and Chujupen.

		Santa Cruz del Quiché, Chiché, Chinique and Patzité, El Quiché Department
	Totonicapán, Totonicapán Department municipality		Tecpán, Chimaltenango Department municipality Joyabaj, El Quiché municipality
		Chichicastenango
		Tecpán, Chimaltenango department municipality Concepción and Sololá, Sololá Department municipalities

Chichicastenango in Films

The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)

In 1935, parts of the movie The New Adventures of Tarzan were filmed in Guatemala. Chichicastenango was one of the places used for filming.

Sacred City of the Mayans (1936)

This is a short, 8-minute color film about Chichicastenango. It's a travelogue by James A. Fitzpatrick. Sometimes, it's shown on TV channels like Turner Classic Movies.

See also

In Spanish: Chichicastenango para niños