San Simon Mask with Pipe, Hand Carved in Guatemala, Fair Trade Traditional Folk Art 7.5" x 7" x 6"

Tucked in a home in Santiago Guatemala, several men hold vigil in a dimly lit room veiled in cigarette smoke. Every day for the entire year, they will attend to Maximón—a mischievous folk saint with origins in indigenous Maya and Spanish Catholic beliefs.

Maximón, also known as San Simón, represents light and dark. He is considered a trickster—both a womanizer and protector of virtuous couples. Maximón resides in a different family’s home every year—his wooden body is dressed in a typical male suit of the region and placed on a petate, or straw mat.

Those seeking miracles, good health, and love make offerings at his shrine in exchange for his favor—moonshine, hand-rolled cigarettes, and money are his vices of choice. His cofrades, or attendants, spend their days smoking and drinking by his side, and it is considered the highest honor to host him. He is brought out during Holy Week and paraded through the streets before being placed in a different home for the following year.