Santa Apolonia: Pottery and Patronal Fair

Santa Apolonia, in the department of Chimaltenango, has several cultural points of interest that differ in timing and theme for your travel planning. Knowledge of traditional pottery-making has been declared intangible cultural heritage; the patronal fair returns every year on a set day in February. In the center of the municipality, there is also a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Apollonia, the patron saint. The craft, the festival date, and the church thus provide three distinct points of reference for exploring the municipality.

Pottery and Traditional Knowledge

In the municipality of Santa Apolonia in the department of Chimaltenango, traditional pottery-making knowledge was declared intangible cultural heritage of the nation on February 7, 2019. The recognition draws attention to pottery-making knowledge and, by extension, to a traditional practice. Pottery-making is also a traditional form of production passed down to women. Understanding the craft involves both the knowledge and its transmission. A description dated November 12, 2021, noted that pottery-making continued to be practiced as a tradition in Santa Apolonia. The two years refer to different points in time: the cultural heritage declaration took place in 2019, and the continuing tradition was described in 2021. If you are interested in cultural topics, you can consider the recognition and the described practice as two separate points of reference.

Patronal Fair on February 9

The patronal fair takes place in the municipality every year on February 9. The traditional burning of the torito is part of the customs. Typical foods, traditional fairground toys, and various typical sweets are also sold during the fair. The date, custom, and items for sale provide different aspects of the recurring event: February 9 marks the date, the torito is the named custom, and the goods are part of the fair’s marketplace. If you would like to plan your trip around this festival, use February 9 as a planning reference and check the event dates in advance.

The fair differs from pottery-making when it comes to choosing when to travel: it returns annually on a specific date, while pottery-making is placed in time by the 2019 cultural heritage declaration and the 2021 description of the tradition. In this way, a recurring festival day and a traditional cultural practice sit alongside each other, with two different points of reference in time.

Church in the Center of the Municipality

The Catholic church dedicated to Saint Apollonia, the patron saint, is located in the center of the municipality of Santa Apolonia. Its dedication and location provide two clear details for understanding this place: its religious association is specified, and the church is in the municipal center. Together with the patronal fair, it offers a connection to the patron saint, while the church and the celebration remain distinct points of reference.

Discover more destinations: Parramos, Chimaltenango, El Tejar, La Aurora.

Return to the main travel overview: Chimaltenango.