Guatemalan Maya Mam Pray for Rain

Hundreds of Maya Mam people in San Martín Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, recently gathered at a sacred lagoon within a volcano to pray for rain. Families from the Quetzaltenango department climbed the Chicabal volcano, carrying flowers and candles as offerings. They performed the ceremony roughly forty days after Easter, following their spiritual calendar.

The community, largely farmers growing vegetables and staple crops, faces threats to their livelihoods from ongoing drought. Alma López explained they ask for water for themselves, for the sick, and for the health of their crops—potatoes, carrots, cabbage, corn, beans, and broad beans. The ceremony blends Mayan spiritual practices with Catholic traditions around forty ancient altars surrounding the lagoon.

The lagoon itself is protected by the community, who believe disturbing its purity could cause it to disappear. Wilson García, a community leader, emphasized the pilgrimage represents both spiritual practice and cultural preservation.

About 2,000 to 3,000 people participate annually, maintaining a consistent flow of visitors to this important spiritual and tourist site. The reasons for the continuing drought remain complex, and the community’s efforts to restore balance continue.