Every year in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, the Great January Festival is celebrated in honor of Saint Sebastian Martyr, the Lord of Esquipulas, and Saint Anthony Abbot. Within this framework, the Dance of the Parachicos serves as an offering to the saints and to deceased principal dancers, known as Patrons of the Parachicos, who are responsible for coordinating the dancers and sponsoring the performances. The dance is also an expression of local identity, and since 2010 it has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to oral tradition, the origin of the Parachicos dates to the eighteenth century, when Doña María de Angulo, a wealthy woman, arrived in the region seeking a cure for her son, who was unable to walk. Healers bathed the child and succeeded in curing him. In return, María de Angulo offered to tie her unclothed son to a log and carry him through the town. Other versions relate that a famine afflicted the region at that time, and that, in gratitude for her son's recovery, she rewarded the townspeople with food. The different accounts agree that the boy was very sad because of his illness and that, in order to cheer him up, the townspeople disguised themselves and danced para el chico ("for the boy"), giving rise to the present name of the dance, Parachicos.
The dancers wear polychrome wooden masks with European features, carved from cedar wood. The Patron of the Parachicos wears a mask different from those of the other dancers, distinguished by the wrinkles of old age and an expression of anger, with pointed eyebrows, flared nostrils, a partially open mouth, and a furrowed brow. These masks are passed down from one Patron to the next, and some interpretations suggest that they may represent a symbolic reworking of the jaguar, a figure with which the character shares qualities of authority and respect.
The making of these masks requires mastery and knowledge of natural materials acquired from an early age. Artisans use substances such as chia oil to paint and polish the masks, as well as cattle esophagus to burnish their surfaces. Some master artisans maintain that this element should come from a mature animal and be obtained during the full moon. The eyes are made from blown glass.
In addition to the mask, the costume includes an ixtle headdress adorned with colorful ribbons, an embroidered scarf, a rough jacket or sarapes, as well as rattles to keep the pace.