A Saintly and Blessed Place- Part III (Fiesta De Santiago)

 My brothers and sisters,

Well, throughout my time here, I have experienced a number of opportunities- cultural, spiritual, historical, etc… and I do have to say, this experiences is far from over, and I have just hit the tip of the iceberg in introducing you all to a nation, to a people, and to a community that we are so far removed form, but we really are not.

Yesterday, July 25, the people of Guatemala celebrated the Feast of Saint James- Fiesta De Santiago. For those who do not know who Saint James is, here is a very brief overview of who this man is. St. James was one of the original 12 Apostles who followed Christ. He was the brother of St. John, the beloved Apostle, and is known as James the Greater (there is a James the Lesser who becomes the first Bishop of Jerusalem.) St. James was one of the three that was present for the Transfiguraron of our Lord, Jesus’s Agony in the Garden (all the Apostles were there, but only three of them went on further with Jesus), and was present for a few miracles that only Peter, John, and James witnessed. After the Ascension of our Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit, James was the first Apostle martyr  as he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa. 

If you want to know more, read the Gospels!

Now, we come to the present day- yesterday, the people of Guatemala celebrated this great Saint. Usually no formal business was held, schools were off, bands played in the Central Park, and thousands upon thousands of people gathered in Parque de Central for a festival that actually went on throughout the entire weekend and ended Monday evening. This was a day that was and still is observed as a Religious holiday, but also a secular holiday. Why do the people of Guatemala, and several Latin American Countries, celebrate St James/San Santiago?

The first reason is that Antigua, Guatemala, was founded as ‘ Santiago de Guatemala’- meaning he was the Patron of the City when it was first established. When Guatemala was conquered by the Spaniards under the leadership of Pedro de Alvarado, he erected the first Capital of Guatemala by calling it ‘Santiago de Guatemala’. However, because of natural disasters, the capital was moved to its second location- Antigua. Antigua being the 2nd Capital of Guatemala was then known as ‘Santiago de Guatemala’. The capital was then moved to Guatemala City due to other natural disasters; however, because Antigua was, and is still called the ‘Santiago de Guatemala’ and its patron is San Santiago (St James) they continue to celebrate his feast.

Because Guatemala was inhabited by the Mayans, as previously noted in a former post, the festivities that are celebrated are in a way tri-fold. The first is that it is a religious/holy day (not an obligation though). The Spaniards were primarily Catholic, and when they established cities they usually dedicated it to a particular Saint. St. James is the patron of Spain, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. It was said that St James, prior to his martyrdom, traveled to Spain to proclaim the Gospel. He is the Patron Saint of pilgrims. Hence the pilgrimage of the Spaniards to Latin America asked for the intercession of St. James, and when they arrived, they dedicated the country and the capital to him. 

The second is a secular holiday. More so, its a day to celebrate the establishment of the Capital under the patronage of San Santiago- again all coming from a Catholic foundation. Hence the festivities of the people gathering and celebrating the establishment of the country of Guatemala (though its not a day of independence). The third aspect of the celebration is Mayan. The Mayan people and culture were in a way subsumed into the Catholic and voyagers ways of life. They adapted to the Catholic practices, seeing similarities within their own practices. The Mayan tradicional practices are still celebrated today, and on the feast of San Santiago, the Mayan people are remembered through various costumes, symbols, etc…

My friends, we can learn a lot from this celebrated Feast. Just to name a few- most, if not all of the Guatemalans(Guatemaltecos) attend Mass in order to spiritually honor San Santiago, and to give thanks to God for the blessings of their country. A second, is that, although the festivities have become very secular, it is still a day in which San Santiago is honored- the remembrance of their religious roots brings them together in order for them to be reminded that they are ONE people, ONE nation, and that nothing can divide them. The third is that the cultural and tradicional practices that have carried on for hundreds of years continue to be practiced today in order to show that they desire to continue with those practices, while still living in the present moment, remembering where they come from and that their history will continue to be with them forever.

Just food for thought!







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