Guelaguetza and its Meanings

In Zapoteco—the indigenous dialect that is spoken throughout Oaxaca—guelaguetza is translated to mean “reciprocity” or “to give and receive.”

In everyday life, the word guelaguetza is used to describe the act of giving to one another in times of celebration. During baptisms, quinceañeras (a traditional Mexican-style birthday celebration for fifteen-year-old girls that signifies their growth into a young woman), graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and even death, families always come together to help each other out with both lavish and small gifts. This word embodies one of the core values of Oaxacan culture: to always share what you have with others no matter how much or little you may have. As a receiver, the other side of this tradition is to receive everything with an open heart, selflessly, because eventually you, the receiver, will become the giver and so the tradition continues. It is a never-ending cycle of giving that transcends life spans and generations.