Imagine how thrilled these horsemen were to announce their country’s independence from Spain! Las antorchas (the torches) symbolize the purification and liberation of Guatemala (Antorchas: significado, historia y evolución en Guatemala, María Alejandra Guzmán). When it is done as a relay, the passing of the torches represents the traveling of the news (Celebrating Guatemala’s Independence Day: A Journey Through History, Ixel School).
I talked to Doña Lily (Doña is a respectful title for a middle aged or older woman, similar to "Ma'am"), my friend, a 53-year-old tienda (store) owner in Palestina and her friend about their childhood memories of Independence Day. They recounted their personal experience of carrying the torch and how their knees hurt after running for so long. Doña Lily went all the way to Panajachel, Atitlan, a town on Lake Atitlan, which is about five hours away in a camioneta (the big busses used for public transport in Guatemala) from where she lives, to run with the torch at the lake! Her friend described how her family and friends each used to bring a different food, such as sandwiches, to have a potluck to share to replenish their energy during and after the run. After getting off the bus, they would run from the central park all the way to the last house in the community. I’d personally need a huge meal after that!
