Bachajón: Mission History and Carnival Traditions

Bachajón can be explored through its mission history and Carnival traditions. Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada O.P., the town's ecclesiastical classification, and individual festival activities represent different aspects; Santa Cruz, meanwhile, points to the springs that supply Bachajón with water. If you are planning a trip focused on culture, it is worth keeping both the historical milestones and the specific Carnival date in mind.

Mission History and Ecclesiastical Classification

Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada O.P. is considered Bachajón's first missionary and arrived in the region in the early 1560s. This is distinct from the Jesuit mission in Bachajón, which was established in 1958 in an area whose population is predominantly Tzeltal. The dates refer to different stages in the mission's history: an arrival in the region and the founding of the Jesuit mission.

Today, Bachajón is one of five parish vicariates of the Iglesia Autóctona of the Misión Bachajón. This organizational classification is distinct from the historical events: it describes Bachajón's current place within the Misión. This distinction is useful when planning your trip: the mission's history provides historical context, while a trip timed around Carnival depends more on the specific festival activities and their date.

Carnival: Handover, Route, and Dramatic Representation

During Bachajón's Carnival, the San Sebastián neighborhood preserves a traditional structure with precolonial authorities and social and religious traditions. Thus, the cultural context of Carnival includes not only individual festival activities but also the neighborhood's social and religious dimension.

One particularly important and unique part of Carnival is the “Cambio de varas,” during which offices are handed over. The Xoral is a Way of the Cross around the village, with ritual speeches delivered at certain points along the route. The “guerra roja” is a dramatic portrayal of the conflict between outsiders from the forest and the village's residents.

The three elements differ in form: the Cambio de varas refers to the handover of offices, the Xoral to a ritual route, and the guerra roja to a dramatic portrayal. This makes it possible to understand the festival tradition through its different elements, rather than treating the terms as equivalent activities.

Santa Cruz and the Carnival Date

In another festival tradition, the patronage committee for the drinking-water supply organized annual celebrations for Santa Cruz in honor of the two springs that supply Bachajón with water. The entire population was invited to take part. This occasion has a different focus from the Carnival activities: it is connected to the town's springs and an invitation to the entire population.

A 1973 ethnographic report gives early March as the start of Carnival. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, confirm the current date locally before booking your hotel for specific days.

Discover more destinations: Las Rosas, Socoltenango, Villa Del Mar, Maravilla Tenejapa, Totolapa, Zinacantán, Jiquipilas, Cacahoatán.

For the main travel overview: Chiapas.