I've already talked about beauty pageants here in Guatemala. They are, for lack of better words, a big deal. Each school has a Niña Escolar who represents the school in district wide events for the entire year. The truth is I'm not a huge fan. These things always tend to end with tears, and it seems to me that it teaches girls at an early age that what is important is how new their traje is. But on the other hand, the girls do have to give a speech so there is some skill involved.

That being said the Niña Escolar presentations are pretty freaking cute. Little girls in their best trajes are adorable. They walk in doing this little sidestep dance to marimba music (the traditional music here in Guate).

These pictures are from the Niña Escolar competition at Chacap in Zunil so the girls are all wearing the Zunil traje. Their top is called a wipil in Spanish (or 'pot' in K'iche'), their skirt is called a corte in Spanish ('uq' in K'iche') and in their hair they use a cinta intricately wrapped through their hair, and heels of course!

It's important for you to know that the girls dress in traje everyday! The only thing they don't really use is the cinta in their hair (older women use the cinta everyday). These girls play basketball in their heels and cortes, I guess when you grow up in them it's comfortable...