Joyabaj () is a town and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
n
department of
El Quiché
EL, El or el may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional entities
* El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit
* Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things''
* El, fami ...
. It is located about 50 kilometers from
Santa Cruz del Quiché, in the
Sierra de Chuacús mountains.
Joyabaj was an important part of the royal route to Mexico during the Spanish time. On February 4, 1976, the town was almost destroyed by an
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
. Most of its beautiful colonial houses and buildings were lost and hundreds of people died. Joyabaj was also hit hard by the civil war that lasted about 30 years in Guatemala. The majority of the ''ladinos'' (people with mixed Spanish and Indian heritage) fled to
Guatemala City
Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...
.
The town's ''fiesta'' is celebrated from August 8–15. Many activities take place every day. One of the most important and fantastic celebrations is
El Palo Volador. This is a traditional dance in which flying angels (ángeles) spin to the ground from a huge wooden pole. The Palo Volador reenacts the descend of the angels into the underworld to battle the forces of darkness. This a pre-conquest ritual that has survived many centuries.
The people from Joyabaj are called ''Xoyes'' or ''Joyabatecos''.
References
{{Authority control
Municipalities of the Quiché Department