Zinacantán
A town of 30,000 people, Zinacantán sits in a valley surrounded by a patchwork of colors made from thousands of cultivated flowers and pine-forested hillsides. This vibrant city in the highlands of Chiapas, México, has been an important center of trade and commerce since pre-colonial times. Zinacantecos grow and export flowers to México City and other places. Almost all the population of Zinacantán is Tzotzil Maya. Zinacantán is a Nahuatl word meaning "the land of bats." Locals call themselves “Sots’leb” in their own language, which means “People of the Bat.” Día de la Santa Cruz, Día de los Muertos, and La Virgen de Guadalupe are the most important celebrations in Zinacantán, reflecting beliefs that include Maya and Catholic traditions. The community is strongly committed to the education of their children and to the protection of the environment through reforestation efforts. The people of Zinacantán take pride in their Maya heritage, which they express through their traditional dress, native language, and care for their traditions.