Cucurucho Paying for His Turns at the Float
Purple or violet is the color of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos wear their cone-head purple dress as a sign of penitence. Not only Cucuruchos have to observe penitence for the Lent (Cuaresma) and the Holy Week (Semana Santa), but they also have to pay if they want to get a chance to carry the enormous floats, known here as andas. According to my good friend Nelo, each turn costs around Q60 (around US$8), there are around 60 turns and each float has somewhere between 80 and 100 spaces for the Cucuruchos. That’s close to Q290,000 (US$38,000) per procession. Boy oh boy, there’s big money to be made with each procession. Now if only they didn’t have to spend the money… but that’s another day’s story! 
By the way, you should visit my dear friend Nelo’s web site EnAntigua.com for all the photos of all the processions of Lent and the Holy Week since 2001. Be prepare, there are over a thousand images of Semana Santa and Cueresma at his web site.
You can also browse the Holy Week category for La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo for more background information and photos about the Semana Santa and Cuaresma in La Antigua.
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March 18th, 2008
I am loving this year’s take on Holy Week. Sort of a behind the scenes look at all of the activities. VERY interesting and still quite colorful.
March 18th, 2008
Did you asked them to give the “cucurucho” change with a Q5. bill just to keep the colour scheme consistent? Colourful money, another thing Guate and Canada have in common!
March 18th, 2008
Where does that money go?
March 18th, 2008
With all the fireworks I’ve heard throughout LAG, I would venture to say at least a few Qs are spent on these!
Your dialogues are most helpful and appreciated.
March 19th, 2008
[...] a thing about it; just show the pictures and don’t even mention it; that was my plan. But no, Jerry T gave me away; sort of a behind the scenes of the Holy Week, he said. See the problem with showing pictures of [...]
March 21st, 2008
Sara, I will tell you where the money goes… soon!
Yeah Manolo, I arranged the whole thing, including the Q5 bill of Don Justo Rufino Barrios.
March 22nd, 2008
I’m terrified of a cuete landing on or too close to me. . or a bomba. . wow Rudy thanks for the tidbit I did not know the turnos sold out - glad to know that this kind of reverence still exists. I remember going to processions when I was little and I remember my dad would put me on his shoulders so I could get a better view. Rudy, dumb question, but do you know how the ticket system works? FOr example, how does someone know when their # is up - or do they have all the #1s together, then all the #2s, 3s and so on?
March 22nd, 2008
[...] answer Sara’s question about where the money collected through the sale of the turns at carrying the float go? Almost one [...]