March 2010

Invitation To Guatemala by Margareta Eidensten

The Honorary Consulate and the Embassy of Guatemala in Stockholm invites you to meet this fascinating and colourful country and to support the Orphanage San Francisco Xavier.

Program
• The Orphanage Hogar San Francisco Xavier in Mixco, Guatemala presented by Margareta Eidensten, Honorary Consul , who recently returned from Guatemala

• Guatemala and the Mayan Civilization presented by Ambassador Ulf Lewin. The Mayas settled in Guatemala as early as 1 500 B.C. At its height the Mayan civilization consisted of more than 40 cities and 2 million people. The Mayas developed hieroglyphic writing, sophisticated timekeeping and astronomical systems. They were known for their laborate and stunning sculpture and relief carving and pyramid constructions. Spirituality was more important than anything else and time for the Mayan pople was an endless procession of gods. The Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world in 2012. Today, the Mayan civilization is very much present in Guatemala as more than 60% of the population are descendents of the Mayas and they use their traditional colourful clothing while maintaining their old traditions.

• Songs from Guatemala and Sweden with Holiday Singers, a vocal group. Our national poet, Evert Taube, visited Guatemala many times. It inspired him to create several ovely compositions.

• Lottery for the Orphanage