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Guatemala town celebrates patron saint with dance, fireworks

December 22, 2019 GMT
A fireworks vendor carries a wooden plank on his back, outside Saint Thomas church during a celebration honoring the patron saint of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. After eight uninterrupted days of celebration in honor of the patron Saint Thomas in the Mayan town, fireworks accompany three bands that play simultaneously at the corners of the most emblematic market in Guatemala. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
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A fireworks vendor carries a wooden plank on his back, outside Saint Thomas church during a celebration honoring the patron saint of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. After eight uninterrupted days of celebration in honor of the patron Saint Thomas in the Mayan town, fireworks accompany three bands that play simultaneously at the corners of the most emblematic market in Guatemala. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
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A fireworks vendor carries a wooden plank on his back, outside Saint Thomas church during a celebration honoring the patron saint of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. After eight uninterrupted days of celebration in honor of the patron Saint Thomas in the Mayan town, fireworks accompany three bands that play simultaneously at the corners of the most emblematic market in Guatemala. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

CHICHICASTENANGO, Guatemala (AP) —

With dances and fireworks, indigenous residents of a town in the Guatemalan highlands on Saturday held a festival celebrating their patron saint, Thomas the apostle.

Much of the activity in Chichicastenango, including a procession with a wooden statue of Thomas, centered on the centuries-old church in the town.

Founded by the Spanish, Chichicastenango is a center of the Quiché ethnic group. A Spanish priest found the Popol Vuh, a text describing Mayan culture and mythology, in the town and translated it into Spanish.

Chichicastenango is a popular destination at this time of year, with many foreign tourists flocking to the main square to witness the annual festival.