Typical Guatemalan Fireworks Stand

Typical Guatemalan Fireworks Stand

What characteristics or traits can be extrapolated from a culture by looking at a simple kiosk? I’ll start and then you share with the rest us your thoughts.

First, I see that Guatemala is country of pyromaniacs who love color and loud sounds.

Guatemalans do not like gray, easy, mellow, avoid-the-extremes-sort of lifestyles. Everything is Guatemala has to be rich, colorful, and extreme (often dangerous); life is too short and everyday has to stand on its own.

Guatemala is a mystical country with deep religious and spiritual rituals that blur and often crisscross the boundaries of culture, tradition and religion.

I also see that Guatemala is a country of creative people who come up the ingenious names for the most diverse fireworks. Here are some of the fireworks names: cohetes, fosforitos, toritos, arbolitos, volcancitos, tanque, metralladora, chiltepitos, bombas, batería de luces, ametralladoras, pistolitas, estrellitas, abejitas, canchinflines, silvadores, etc.

Guatemala is country that loves chaos and randomness. This is more apparent during celebrations like Burning of the Devil, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve where people burn firecrackers and fireworks EVERYWHERE. There’s not a single place, organized by single entity to burn the pyrotechnics.

Okay, that’s what I can extract from the photograph above. What about you? What traits or peculiarities can you draw out from the image above?

Blowing Up Christmas– “It’s Bomba Time” Music Video

Thanks to my close friends Brad and Kara from NewMaya.Org for allowing to share with you this video clip of the shopping and burning fireworks in Chiquimula, Guatemala.

Fireworks are a must for Christmas in Chiquimula, Guatemala! Director: Kara Andrade. Music: “Keep It Hott (BradElectro Remix) by The Middle Agent, feat. Garth Culti-Vader & Tech N9NE.

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This entry was written by and posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 11:59 pm and is filed under Christmas, Cultural, Details, Videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1024917003 Erin Deleon-Ahumada

    Ja! y que decir de los saltapericos? esas bolitas recubiertas con papel de china de muchos y vivos colores que se lanzan con fuerza al piso para hacerlas tronar y que veo en un primer plano de esta foto… Me encantaban, eran algo asi como la maxima travesura!

  • http://www.julitoserrano.blogspot.com Julio Serrano

    Y si nos fumamos un cigarrito ahi?

    felices fiestas mano!

  • Claudia

    I loved the sound and smell of fireworks, but truly – I was terrified of them because I always felt like they were EVERYWHERE and maybe one would land on or near me.

  • MO

    Now this is my kind of store…
    Don’t forget the infamous mortero!

    Yo tenia un primo mas mula que cuando le daban un cigarillo para que prendiera los cohetes se emocionaba tanto que en vez de tirar el cohete tiraba el cigarillo y se fumaba el cohete prendido.

  • http://www.facebook.com/sheila.fernandes Sheila Fernandes

    i just liked the estrellitas, so girly.

  • Guy

    Chaos? I detect a subconscious feel for order here.

    And not just on the fireworks stand. I love the way that stall holders in the market organise their stuff.

    My wife however expresses shame for the way her compatriots like appear to enjoy “setting fire to their money”

    Feliz Navidad!

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