How about adding a little authentic culture to your December escape? The Festival of St. Thomas
takes place in…are you ready for
this?…Chichicastenango, Guatemala on December 21.
Chi…um, chichaa…well, that
little town is quite famous
for its four-centuries-old market where you can buy all manner of
absurdly colorful blankets and gew-gaws.
There is also dancing, music, and the famous flying pole ceremony. What’s that, you say? The flying pole ceremony
involves people who hang onto ropes wrapped around the top of a pole and then they fly around it. That a country has
made this common childhood activity a formal ceremonial event is, well, pretty cool. Which begs the question: does
anyone have a national holiday dedicated to tetherball?