On December 7, there is a tradition called the "Dia del Niño Perdido” (Day of the Lost Child).
On this day, lighted candles are placed on doorjambs and windowsills.
However, the major festival for this city is the feast of Corpus Christi, which features processions, and indigenous dances such as the tocotines, guaguas, negritos, Santiagueros and voladores.
The first feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in Papantla sometime between 1550 and 1560, sponsored by the encomendero of the area, Placido Perez.
Until very recently, the celebration was strictly religious with processions and liturgy.
In 1957, a more secular event called the Festival of Corpus Christi was added to run concurrently with the religious rites.
In that year, a livestock, agriculture, industrial and cultural fair was added.
In 1958, the celebration of “Juegos Florales” (flower arrangements) and the Festival Xanath began to distinguish the event from others in the area.
The Xanath Festival was begun by Mariano Torres Carreño and Hector Ventura de Castro with the aim of presenting Totonac culture to the city and make the residents proud of their heritage.
The festival has indigenous art exhibits, traditional dance, costumes and music.
The dances are choreographed into a single spectacle which is reworked each year.

Like the rest of Mexico, Papantla celebrates Day of the Dead but has some local variations. “
Ofrendas” (altars to the dead) can be set up on tables or on board which are suspended from the ceiling.
The altar is called a pachau and the lack on one in the home can bring on social rejection for violating community norms.
These are decorated with palm fronds, bananas, oranges, limes, anis and chocolate figures.
Food stuffs include mole, candy, tamales, local breads and other regional specialties.
A glass of water and “renio” (a type of local alcohol) are also placed.
Day of the Dead celebrations begin on 31 October for those who had died of natural causes.
On 1 November, the souls of deceased children (called Laqsq’at’an) are welcomed.
Later on 1 November and 2 November the souls of adults are said to return.
It is believed that the souls come in the form of insects to eat the meals laid out in offering.
It is also believed that this food needs to be freshly prepared and hot.
During the nights, groups of living children go house to house singing traditional songs.

For religious and secular events, two dances are definitive of Papantla.
According to Totonac myth, the gods told men “Dance, and we shall observe.”
The Danza de los Voladores is one of these events that was originally meant to please the gods.
 The ceremony involves five participants who climb a thirty-meter pole.
Four of these tie ropes around their waists and wind the other end around the top of the pole in order to descend to the ground.
 Each rope is wound around the top of the pole thirteen times, which by four equal 52 and corresponds to the Mesoamerican ritual calendar.
The fifth participant stays at the top of the pole, playing a flute and a small drum.
The flute represents birdsong and the drum the voice of the gods.
The four who descend or “flying men” represent the four cardinal directions.
 The flautist begins by honoring the east, from which life is believed to have originated.
  This dance or ceremony has been inscribed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO
The Dance of the Guaguas (also spelled Huahuas) is mostly performed by Totonacs but also by some groups of Nahuas and Huastecs who live in this area.
 It is a variant of the Dance of the Quetzales.
The dance represents a survival of beliefs based on agricultural and the solar year.
One essential element of the dance is the construction of a wooden cross which turns in a vertical position, representing the basis of creation and the genesis of cosmic life.
Dancers dress in red pants, which have been elaborately embroidered, white shirts and a decorated cloth that goes across the chest.
But the most distinctive apparel is the headdress, which is a large circle of woven ribbons with loose
On December 7, there is a tradition called the "Dia del Niño Perdido” (Day of the Lost Child). On this day, lighted candles are placed on doorjambs and windowsills. However, the major festival for this city is the feast of Corpus Christi, which features processions, and indigenous dances such as the tocotines, guaguas, negritos, Santiagueros and voladores. The first feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in Papantla sometime between 1550 and 1560, sponsored by the encomendero of the area, Placido Perez. Until very recently, the celebration was strictly religious with processions and liturgy. In 1957, a more secular event called the Festival of Corpus Christi was added to run concurrently with the religious rites. In that year, a livestock, agriculture, industrial and cultural fair was added. In 1958, the celebration of “Juegos Florales” (flower arrangements) and the Festival Xanath began to distinguish the event from others in the area. The Xanath Festival was begun by Mariano Torres Carreño and Hector Ventura de Castro with the aim of presenting Totonac culture to the city and make the residents proud of their heritage. The festival has indigenous art exhibits, traditional dance, costumes and music. The dances are choreographed into a single spectacle which is reworked each year.
Like the rest of Mexico, Papantla celebrates Day of the Dead but has some local variations. “Ofrendas” (altars to the dead) can be set up on tables or on board which are suspended from the ceiling. The altar is called a pachau and the lack on one in the home can bring on social rejection for violating community norms. These are decorated with palm fronds, bananas, oranges, limes, anis and chocolate figures. Food stuffs include mole, candy, tamales, local breads and other regional specialties. A glass of water and “renio” (a type of local alcohol) are also placed. Day of the Dead celebrations begin on 31 October for those who had died of natural causes. On 1 November, the souls of deceased children (called Laqsq’at’an) are welcomed. Later on 1 November and 2 November the souls of adults are said to return. It is believed that the souls come in the form of insects to eat the meals laid out in offering. It is also believed that this food needs to be freshly prepared and hot. During the nights, groups of living children go house to house singing traditional songs.
For religious and secular events, two dances are definitive of Papantla. According to Totonac myth, the gods told men “Dance, and we shall observe.” The Danza de los Voladores is one of these events that was originally meant to please the gods.  The ceremony involves five participants who climb a thirty-meter pole. Four of these tie ropes around their waists and wind the other end around the top of the pole in order to descend to the ground.  Each rope is wound around the top of the pole thirteen times, which by four equal 52 and corresponds to the Mesoamerican ritual calendar. The fifth participant stays at the top of the pole, playing a flute and a small drum. The flute represents birdsong and the drum the voice of the gods. The four who descend or “flying men” represent the four cardinal directions.  The flautist begins by honoring the east, from which life is believed to have originated.   This dance or ceremony has been inscribed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO
The Dance of the Guaguas (also spelled Huahuas) is mostly performed by Totonacs but also by some groups of Nahuas and Huastecs who live in this area.  It is a variant of the Dance of the Quetzales. The dance represents a survival of beliefs based on agricultural and the solar year. One essential element of the dance is the construction of a wooden cross which turns in a vertical position, representing the basis of creation and the genesis of cosmic life. Dancers dress in red pants, which have been elaborately embroidered, white shirts and a decorated cloth that goes across the chest. But the most distinctive apparel is the headdress, which is a large circle of woven ribbons with loose
Papantla