Whether fashioned into a crown, covered with satin ribbons, or woven with flowers, the ceremonial braids of Guelaguetza are always meant to tell a story.
Every July, the women of Oaxaca, Mexico, prepare for Guelaguetza, a festival that celebrates the Mexican state’s Indigenous culture. On top of wearing the traje, the traditional clothing representative of the region, each woman also styles their hair into two three-strand braids and adds tlacoyales, hair ties with ribbons and other adornments. Every aspect of the chosen hairstyle is imbued with individual meaning.
The ribbon colors are less symbolic—and typically chosen to accentuate the clothing. The braids—whether fashioned into a crown, covered with satin ribbons, or woven with flowers—are always meant to tell a story. For Simoni Baños Acevedo, pink ribbons woven through her braids perfectly match her ensemble, and behind her ear there’s a red rose—a reference to an old tradition: “A woman who is a virgin wears the rose on the left side of her head.
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