Ocozocoautla de Espinosa
Encyclopedia
Ocozocoautla de Espinoza is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...

. It is located in the western part of the state, 24 km east of San Cristobal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas also known as it's native Tsotsil name, Jovel is a city and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas...

 covering parts of the Depresión Central (Central Depression) and the Montañas del Norte (Northern Mountains). It is bordered to the north by Tecpatán
Tecpatán
Tecpatán is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 38,383. It covers an area of 770.1 km²....

, to the east by Berriozábal
Berriozábal
Berriozábal is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 28,719. It covers an area of 300.6 km²....

, Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...

 and Suchiapa
Suchiapa
Suchiapa is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 15,890. It covers an area of 355.2 km²....

, to the south by Villaflores
Villaflores
Villaflores may refer to:* Villaflores, Chiapas, a municipality in the state of Chiapas, Mexico;* Villaflores, Guadalajara, a hamlet in the municipality of Guadalajara, Spain;...

 and to the west by Jiquipilas
Jiquipilas
Jiquipilas is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 34,937. It covers an area of 1197.3 km²....

 and Cintalapa
Cintalapa
Cintalapa is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 64,013. It covers an area of 2404.6 km²....

. The name comes from the Nahoa language and means ‘forest of ocozote trees’. ‘De Espinosa’ was added in 1928 to honor Raymundo Enríquez Espinosa who was the first governor of the state of Chiapas. Ocozocoautla gained city status in 1926. The climate is warm and humid and the vegetation is mostly high and medium rainforest. In 2005, the entire municipality had 9,552 people.

Carnival de Ocozocoautla

The carnival of this town is based on native Zoque
Zoque
The Zoque are an indigenous people of Mexico; they speak variants of the Zoque languages.This group consists of 41,609 people, according to the 2000 census...

 traditions that date back to pre-Hispanic times and Christian traditions brought over by the Spanish. It celebrates both the proximity of Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...

 and the resurrection of the land and of life. It begins the Sunday before Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...

. On this day, ‘’’cohuinás,’’’ who are people responsible for organizing and coordinating religious activities in the town, gather before the patron saint of the town, Saint John the Baptist to announce the beginning of the carnaval, which is primarily a dance festival.

On Monday, a large parade is held for about 3 hours, in which various groups compete for recognition as “best-dressed,” “best-organized” etc. They also toss talc
Talc
Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H2Mg34 or Mg3Si4O102. In loose form, it is the widely-used substance known as talcum powder. It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, its crystals being so rare as to be almost unknown...

 and water onto each other no matter how well dressed they happen to be. Then the people greet the cohuinás who receive them with chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...

 , 2 types of bread called “pukzinú” (made with cinnamon and squash seeds) and “ponzoquí” (a bread doll cooked on a comal
Comal (cookware)
A comal is a smooth, flat griddle typically used in Mexico to cook tortillas, toast spices, sear meat, and generally prepare food. Similar cookware is called a budare in South America. Some comals are concave and made of "barro" . These are still made and used by the indigenous peoples of Mexico...

), as well as distilled spirits. On Tuesday, the cohuinás dance the “Baile de Plaza” also known as the “Baile Grande” or the “Danza del los Enlistaonados”. The dance is performed once in each of the three main plazas of the town. This dance has pre-Hispanic origins and honors “Tajaj Jama” or ‘Father Sun.’ Since the Spanish Conquest, European Christian characters have been added to this dance, including “el Mahoma”, an Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

 figures who represents evil because of his opposition to Christianity, David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...

, who represents good because he protects his people against Goliath  and “el Caballo” (the Horse), a character whose mission is to help David. In the dance, the three battle until David triumphs.

On Tuesday, the Dance of the Tiger is performed. Two tiger and two monkeys (male and female) are accompanied by a hunter, soldiers, “tatamonos” and “arreadores.” The tigers hunt the monkeys as the hunter hunts the tigers. Accompanied by tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....

s, marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...

s and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

s, the dance ends when the monkeys triumph over the tigers with the help of the hunter .

Unlike most carnivals, the events do not end at midnight start of Ash Wednesday. On this day, all participants and visitors to the Carnival are purified with a “bath” using “zapoyal”, a powder extracted from a yellow pod-shaped fruit. On Thursday, there is a ceremonial “robbery” of the pig’s head that adorned the servant of “el Mahoma”. Then there is a dinner with marimba music. As part of this event, new people are chosen to play the various roles for next year’s Carnival .

List of communities located in the municipality

Ocozocoautla de Espinoza – municipal seat

Absalón Castellanos Domínguez, Acapulco, Ach'lum Tierra Nueva, Agua Caliente, Agua Escondida, Alfonso Moguel, Alfredo V. Bonfil, Alta Villa, Altamira, Amador Hernández González, América Libre, Andulio Gálvez Velázquez, Angélica del Mar, Apic Pac, Aquiles Serdán (Kilómetro Treinta y Ocho), Armando Zebadúa, Álvaro Obregón, Balcones de Meyapac San Juan, Bellavista, Benito Juárez, Benito Juárez Dos, Bomba el Encanto, Buenaventura Uno, Buenavista 1, Buenavista 2,Buenavista 3, Buenavista 4,Buenavista 5, Buenos Aires, Bugambilias, Cacahuano, Camino Real, Campeche, Canta Rana (Guadalupe), Carrizalillo, Casa Blanca, Casa Quemada, Che Guevara, Chicali de San Judas Tadeo, Chihuahua, Chulavista, Cinco Negrito, CNC, Colima, Colombia, Compachito, Copacabana, Corcega Segundo, Corozo Buenavista, Cotitlán, Cruz del Llano, Cuatro Milpas, Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc 1o., Cuba, Desvío el Gavilán, Doctor Manuel Velasco Suárez II, Dos Hermanos, Ecológico, El Aguacero, El Aguajito, El Alto de Jalisco, El Alto del Frijolito, El Arbolito, El Arenal, El Área de la Unión, El Balsamar, El Bambú 1, El Bambú 2, El Banco de Arena, El Bálsamo, El Bohío, El Bosque, El Buitre, El Cacao, El Calvario, El Canelar, El Canelarcito, El Caoba, El Capulín, El Carmen 1, El Carmen 2, El Carmen 3, El Carmen 4,El Carmen (Canelarcito II), El Carrizal, El Chamizal (El Fierro), El Chapopote, El Chichún, El Chorrón, El Cielito, El Cielito 1, El Cielito 2, El Cielito 3, El Cielito 4, El Cielito 5, El Cielito 6, El Coco, El Coquito, El Corazón, El Corazón Meyapac, El Corozo, El Corozo 1, El Corozo 2, El Coyolito, El Coyote, El Desengaño, El Diamante 1, El Diamante 2, El Diluvio, El Dominio, El Edén 1, El Edén 2, El Edén 3, El Edén 4, El Edén de San Antonio, El Embarcadero Apic Pac, El Encanto 1, El Encanto 2, El Esfuerzo, El Estribo, El Faisanero. El Faro 1, El Faro 2, El Fortín, El Gavilán, El Girasol, El Guapinolito, El Guayabo, El Herradero 1, El Herradero 2, El Herradero 3, El Horizonte 1, El Horizonte 2, El Horizonte 3, El Imperio, El Jagüey, El Jardín, El Jobo, El Laurel 1, El Laurel 2, El Laurel 3, El León, El Limón, El Lirio, El Maguey, El Marago, El Milagro 1, El Milagro 2, El Milagro 3, El Morrito, El Mujular, El Nanchi, El Naranjo (Paso el Naranjo), El Negro (Santa Lucía), El Ocote, El Ocotillo, El Olimpo, El Palenque 1, El Palenque 2, El Palmar, El Paraíso 1, El Paraíso 2, El Paraíso 3, El Paraíso 4, El Paraíso 5, El Paraíso (El Edén), El Peñasco, El Pedregal, El Peje de Oro, El Perolito, El Portillo, El Porvenir 1, El Porvenir 2, El Prado, El Progreso 1, El Progreso 2, El Recinto, El Recreo, El Recuerdo 1, El Recuerdo 2, El Recuerdo 3, El Recuerdo 4, El Recuerdo 5, El Recuerdo 6, El Retacito, El Retazo 1, El Retazo 2, El Retazo 3, El Retiro, El Roble, El Rosario 1, El Rosario 2, El Rosario 3, El Rosario 4, El Rosarito, El Sabino, El Sacramento, El Sacrificio, El Sauz de San Felipe, El Suspiro 1, El Suspiro 2, El Tamarindo (Santa Morena), El Tanque, El Tempisque Dos, El Tempisque Uno, El Tesoro 1, El Tesoro 2, El Tesoro 3, El Tesoro 4, El Triunfo, El Triunfo (San Vicente del Villar), El Tzu-Tzu, El Vergel, El Vergel (El Malacate), El Vergel de Jazmín, El Villarcito, El Zapote 1, El Zapote 2, Embarcadero de la CNC, Emiliano Zapata Dos, Emiliano Zapata Uno, Emilio Rabasa, Espinal de Morelos, Esquipulas 1, Esquipulas 2, Esquipulas (Los Mangos), Estrella de Guadalupe, Estrella de Mar, Flor de Corazón, Flor de la Industria, Flores Magón (Guillermo Prieto), Fracción Albania, Fracción Peña Flor III, Francisco I. Madero, Fuente Demané, Gracias a Dios, Gral. Francisco Villa, Guachipilín, Guadalupe 1, Guadalupe 2, Guadalupe 3, Guadalupe 4, Guadalupe 5, Guadalupe Victoria 1, Guadalupe Victoria, Heberto Castillo Martínez, Hermenegildo Galeana, Hugo de la Flor Ballinas, Huizachoza, Ignacio Zaragoza (El Morro), Isla Tornillo, Jardín de las Flores, Jericó, Jerusalen, Joali-Lau, José Castillo Tielmans , José López Portillo, José María Morelos y Pavón, Jovel, Juan de Grijalva, Juan de Grijalva Dos, La Abundancia, La Asunción 1, La Asunción 2, La Barbasquera, La Cabaña 1, La Cabaña 2, La Candelaria 1, La Candelaria 2, La Cascada, La Cebadilla, La Ceiba, La Centella, La Chincuyita, La Ciénega, La Clínica, La Cosecha (Microondas), La Cruz, La Cumbre 1, La Cumbre 2, La Encañada, La Ermita Santa Cruz, La Escondida, La Esperanza 1, La Esperanza 2, La Esperanza 3, La Esperanza 4, La Esperanza 5, La Esperanza 6, La Esperanza 7, La Espinita, La Estrella, La Flor, La Florida, La Florida (El Manguito), La Gloria 1, La Gloria 2, La Gloria 3, La Gloria 4, La Gloria 5, La Gloria 6, La Granja, La Ilusión 1, La Ilusión 2, La Ilusión 3, , La Independencia (Las Pilas), La Ladera, La Laguna, La Libertad ,La Lluvia, La Lucha, La Majada, La Mesa del Rinconcito, La Naranja, La Nueva Australia (El Cielito), La Nueva Esperanza 1, La Nueva Esperanza 2, La Nueva Industria, La Nueva Victoria (Los Pájaros), La Paila, La Palma, La Pantalla, La Piñuela, La Piedrona, La Pimienta, La Pitaya, La Pochota, La Pomarrosa, La Primavera, La Primavera (La Pimienta), La Reforma 1, La Reforma 2, La Reforma 3, La Región de la Borcelana, La Revancha, La Selva, La Soledad, La Toronja, La Tribuna, La Venta ,La Ventana, La Victoria, La Victoria, La Victoria (El Corozo), Laguna Grande, Laguna Larga, Las Amapolas, Las Angustias, Las Brisas (El Ciprés), Las Cañas, Las Camelias, Las Candelarias ,Las Canicas, Las Canoas, Las Carmelitas ,Las Carolinas, Las Casitas, Las Chayas, Las Conchas 1, Las Conchas 2, Las Cruces (Rincón Novillo), Las Delicias, Las Estrellitas, Las Flores 1, Las Flores 2, Las Flores 3, Las Flores 4, Las Flores 5, Las Flores 6, Las Gardenias 1, Las Gardenias 2, Las Gardenias 3, Las Gaviotas, Las Gladiolas, Las Lajas, Las Lajitas, Las Lluvias 1, Las Lluvias 2, Las Maravillas, Las Margaritas, Las Mercedes, Las Murallas, Las Palmas 1, Las Palomas 2, Las Piñuelas (Acapulquito), Las Piedronas, Las Pilitas, Las Pimientas, Las Pitas, Las Prietas, Las Rocas, Las Rositas, Las Trancas, Las Tunas, Las Violetas, Lázaro Cárdenas, Lerma, Lindavista 1, Lindavista 2, Lindavista (Juárez), Llano Bonito 1, Llano Bonito 2, Llano San Juan, Loma Bonita, Los Ángeles 1, Los Ángeles 2, Los Ángeles 3, Los Ángeles 4, Los Cedros, Los Cocos, Los Cuatro Alegres Compadres, Los Encinos, Los Gemelos, Los Laureles 1, Los Laureles 2, Los Lirios, Los Manguitos 1, Los Manguitos 2, Los Olivos, Los Pascuales, Los Potrillos, Los Potrillos, Los Reyes, Los Tres Hermanos, Lucesita, Lucio Cabañas Barrientos, Luis Echeverría (Agua Blanca), Luis Espinosa, Magdalena, Mi Ranchito, Mirador 2a Fracción, Miramar, Mogno, Monno, Monserrat, Montaña Azul, Monte Bonito 1, Monte Bonito 2, Monte de Oro, Monte Real, Montecristo, Monterrey 1, Monterrey 2, Nambimbo, Nanchi Dulce, Natividad, Nayarit, Nicolás Bravo, Niquidámbar, Nueva Betania (Nuevo Sivacal), Nueva España, Nueva Esperanza, Nueva Linda, Nueva York, Nuevo Bosque la Laguna, Nuevo Embarcadero Apic Pac (Santa Laura), Nuevo Gavilán, Nuevo Jalapa (Tapumbac), Nuevo Jerusalén, Nuevo León (San Antonio), Nuevo Mezcalapa, Nuevo Paraíso, Nuevo Porvenir, Nuevo San Antonio, Nuevo San Juan Chamula, Nuevo San Luis, Nuevo San Vicente, Nuevo Santa Fe, Nuevo Simojovel, Ocosingo, Ocuilapa de Juárez, Ojo de Agua 1, Ojo de Agua 2, Ojo de Agua 3, Ojo de Agua 4, Orizaba, Palmira, Pamala, Paola (El Edén), Paso Carrizo, Paso Naranjo, Peña del Rosario, Peña Flor, Peña Fuerte, Peñasco, Pedregal Santa Cruz, Perla Bellavista, Piedra Azul, Piedra Parada, Plan de Ayala, Plan del Caoba, Pluma Azul, Pluma de Oro, Pozo Sagrado, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, Puerto San Arturo (Nuevo Apic Pac), Quinta Emita, Quinta Lupita, Raíces, Rancho Alegre, Rancho Alegre, Rancho Alegre (El Refugio), Rancho Chiquito, Raudal del Potro, Río Bravo, Reforma de la Bonanza, Reforma la Unión, Revolución, Rincón del Armadillo (Las Paragüitas), Rizo de Oro, Roluma, Sabino Pérez, Salina Cruz, Saltillo Fracción ll, Salvador Urbina, Samaria, San Andrés Obregón, San Andres, San Antonio 1, San Antonio 2, San Antonio 3, San Antonio 4, San Antonio 5, San Antonio 6, San Antonio de Padua Uno (Flor de Corazón), San Antonio del Valle (Las Tres Marías), San Antonio el Bajío, San Antonio el Tesoro, San Antonio Texas, San Ángel 1, San Ángel 2, San Carlos 1, San Carlos 2, San Carlos 3, San Carlos (Palo Blanco), San Enrique, San Felipe (Fracción Monserrat), San Felipe Buenavista, San Fernando, San Francisco 1, San Francisco 2, San Francisco 3, San Francisco 4, San Francisco 5, San Francisco (Las Pitas), San Francisco (Solo Dios), San Isidro 1, San Isidro 2, San Isidro 3, San Isidro, San Isidro (La Ciénega), San Isidro Carrizal, San Jacinto, San Joaquín 1, San Joaquín 2, San Joaquín del Alto, San Joaquín el Rosario, San Jorge (El Dieciocho), San Jorge (Fracción las Conchas), San José 1, San José 2, San José, 3, San José 4, San José 5, San José 6, San José 7, San José 8, San José 9, San José del Achiote, San José el Edén, San José los Plátanos, San Juan 1, San Juan 2, San Juanito (Monte Sinaí),
San Judas Tadeo, San Lorenzo la Unión, San Luis, San Luis Monserrat, San Marcos, San Martín 1, San Martín 2, San Martín 3, San Martín (Las Lluvias), San Miguel 1, San Miguel 2, San Pablo, San Pedro 1, San Pedro 2, San Pedro 3, San Pedro 4, San Pedro 5, San Pedro Buenavista 1, San Pedro Buenavista 2, San Rafael, San Ramón, San Ramón las Maravillas, San Vicente del Villar, Santa Cecilia 1, Santa Cecilia 2, Santa Clara del Roble, Santa Cruz 1, Santa Cruz 2, Santa Cruz 3, Santa Cruz de los Pinos, Santa Elena 1, Santa Elena 2, Santa Enita, Santa Fe 1, Santa Fe 2, Santa Fe 3, Santa Fe del Pozo, Santa Gertrudis, Santa Isabel 1, Santa Isabel 2, Santa Isabel 3, Santa Laura 1, Santa Laura 2, Santa María de Guadalupe, Santa María los Jazminez, Santa María Petapa, Santa María Petapa (El Llanón), Santa Martha 1, Santa Martha 2, Santa Martha 3, Santa Martha 4, Santa Monica, Santa Morena, Santa Rita 1, Santa Rita 2, Santa Rita 3, Santa Rosa, Santa Teresa, Santa Teresa del Sur, Santo Domingo 1, Santo Domingo 2, Santo Domingo 3, Santo Domingo Huexa, Santo Tomás, Solo Dios, Tablón Sonora, Tecnoplant, Teresita, Tierra Agria, Zin Zun, Tierra Blanca, Torreón (El Recreo), Tzaco-Zoc (Las Chayas Dos), Unión las Palmas, Union Zaragoza, Valle de Corzo, Valle de Corzo (La Industria), Víctor Mena, Veinte Casas, Veinte de Junio (La Ceiba), Velasco Suárez Uno, Venecia 1, Venecia 2, Venustiano Carranza, Veracruz, Verapaz dos, Verapaz uno, Vicente Guerrero (Matamoros), Villahermosa, Villahermosa (Reymundo Enríquez), Vistahermosa, Vistahermosa Meyapac, Yavr, Yucatán, Zacate Largo, Zapote Colorado
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