The market has been held in this spot for hundreds of years, long before the Spanish arrived in Guatemala. Indigenous Maya people from dozens of surrounding villages travel here to trade. Each village has its own style of weaving and its own colour combinations, so you can often tell which village a person is from just by the pattern of their clothes.
Flowers are sold in enormous quantities at Chichi — mainly marigolds, which are bright orange and yellow. Vendors carry huge bundles of them on their backs, and the air is thick with their sweet, slightly spicy scent. Marigolds have special meaning in many traditional celebrations.
The steps of the old church at the edge of the market are one of the most vivid sights. Vendors spread out candles, flowers, and copal incense (a kind of tree resin that makes a sweet smoke when it burns), mixing centuries-old Maya customs with Christian traditions in a completely unique way.
Wooden masks are one of the most popular things to find at the market. They are carved for traditional dances and festivals, and come in many forms — jaguars, deer, old men, conquistadors, and fantastical monsters. Skilled woodcarvers paint them in bold colours, and some masks take weeks to make.