The colorful and festive Zoque Carnival, held in the municipality of Ocozocoautla de Espinoza, commonly known as Coita, is one of the oldest carnivals in Mexico, and syncretizes the heritage of those elements of the pre-Hispanic, Arab and Spanish cultures that give identity to the region. The carnival, besides preserving the traditions as one of the largest and most recognized celebrations, also contributes to the region’s economy, as it is visited and enjoyed by national and international tourists.

The Zoque Coiteco Carnival is made up of rituals and dances that in ancestral times paid tribute to the Sun God of this town, in this way, the people asked for good and abundant harvests.

The inhabitants of the different neighborhoods of Ocozocoautla organize themselves during the carnival through different representative meetings, called “cohuinas”, a Zoque term that in Spanish means “chief’s house”. The “shores”, who wear ostentatious costumes, are the most common characters in the carnival and represent the good.

The most representative dances are the “enlistonados” and the “danza del Tigre”, as well as the “danza del caballito”.

The Carnival also includes the crowning of the queen, the traditional parade and the visit of the different “cohuinas”. The festivities culminate with the “zapoyol” bath, which symbolizes the purification of the soul.

The Zoque Carnival is also unique for its traditional “Talc War” with which visitors are received; it represents the purification of the soul and the welcome by the community members of the Zoque ethnic group.