La Catracha

Saturday morning, we trekked up the hill to school for Fiesta La Catracha. "Catracha" is another name for "Honduran," and this festival was an incredible glimpse into Catracha culture and history. The fiesta is almost completely put on/organized by students, and I was very impressed at the quality of everything from traditional performances to information booths.

The school was transformed with banners and balloons, and everyone was dressed in traditional Honduran attire. The festival kicked off with an adorable parade of preschool-kindergarteners demonstrating different parts of Honduran history (vaqueros para ninos y vestidos para ninas) and representing the different Central American countries as they marched to the sound of the xylophone band. The parade ended in the main/H.S. polli and parents, teachers, and the rest of the school squeezed into the bleachers to try to get a good view. Videocameras galore.

There were several events throughout the day that gave me further insight into Catracha culture/people. The juniors and seniors had set up these amazing booths (complete with bamboo poles and palm branches as roofs) about each region in Honduras; you walked into a booth and they told you everything you wanted to know about each region (in English!). Each booth had the typical/most important produce and handicrafts from that area and delicious samples of food known from that area. It made me desperately want to travel! Copan is top on my list; then Roatan, but eventually, I'd love to go everywhere.

Other events included a fashion show (2 of my students were in this), traditional dancing where they pulled people from the crowd onstage, a historical museum, performances from different grade levels, and overall socializing while enjoying plates of delicious Honduran cuisine.

It was a wonderful experience to learn more about Honduras, as well as see the closeness of the IST community. I'm so thankful to be part of it!