Antigua Guatemala's number one multimedia resource in English for everything about La Antigua and the Guatemalan people, culture and traditions with a brand new web page every day!
Welcome to Antigua Guatemala's number one multimedia resource in English for everything about La Antigua and the Guatemalan culture and traditions with a brand new web page every day!
Volcanoes and clouds have a harmonious relationship. Often you see volcanoes surrounded by clouds. It looks like volcanoes have magnetism which attracts the clouds. For this very reason, the best shots I ever seen of Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano); formerly known as Volcán Hunapú, have included some cloud formation in the frame. Here’s my contribution towards long pile of shots of Water Volcano with clouds. I hope you like it!
Carnitas is the Guatemalan Spanish word for chunks of meat from pork. Chicharrones is the word for pork rinds which still keep a little bit of meat or fat. Chicharrines are pork rinds made from just the pork skin, no fat or meat left on the chicharrines (these are very crunchy).
Believe it or not, Guatemalans still cook with lard and they enjoy very much their carnitas, chicharrones and chicharrines, especially when they are cooked on the spot and served still hot along an ensalada de rábanos (radish salad) freshly made tortillas, lemon slices and deep fried jalapeños. A portion like the one above can set you back Q15; not bad for 4 ounces of carnitas.
If you want to abandon your healthy lifestyle for day, you can find this carnitas and chicharrones booth on the exit road to Ciudad Vieja, just one block away from the Soleil hotel (previously Radisson) on Thursday through Sunday. Bon Appetite!
Oh please, please, can somebody explain to me where did these tacky dancing Disney figures come from and how they became such a rage during the Christmas season? I want to know, really.
What ever happened to the authentic Guatemalan traditional dances? to the Guatemalan authentic Christmas traditions?
Aserrín (sawdust) is used often in Guatemala for decorations, especially the world famous Holy Week carpets. Sawdust is dyed with bright colors to provide the color and contrast of the different designs. This photo and the next are the last in the Guatemalan Christmas Decorations series.
Christmas Day is a very quiet and easy-going day in Guatemala. But, it does not begins like that. On the contrary, right at midnight and for what seems like forever, Guatemalans burn firecrackers, fire whistlers, fireworks and every kind of pyrotechnic stuff; the list is long. This pyromaniac act repeats again at noon and at 6 p.m.; other than that, it is a quiet day.
As a matter of fact, let’s compile a list of all the cohetes, canchinflines, estrellitas, volcancitos, ametralladoras, et-cetera and their English translations to have an idea how pyromaniac Guatemalans really are. Everyone is invited to participate.
Right at midnight on December 24th/25th, baby Jesus is put in the Nacimiento scene set up on December 8th (do you remember?). Right at midnight the joy and happiness of Guatemalans celebrating Navidad (Christmas) literally explodes into firecrackers, bell rings, songs, hugs, and sharing of lots of great Guatemalan Christmas cuisine, like tamales especially made for the occasion.
Merry Christmas Everyone! My best wishes of Love and Peace for All!
Tomorrow I will try to post photos and videos of the Christmas celebrations in Guatemala as they occur right at midnight. Stay tune!
On December 23rd the quest for lodging or the act of pedir posada ends and marks the beginning of preparations for Christmas or the birth of baby Jesus.
Here you can see a typical anda (float) with the figures of Mary and Joseph as they wondered around town looking for lodging (posada) and the final place where they found it. You can all see the ensemble of the Guatemalan Christmas decorations.
Tomorrow, you will see a Nativity scene with baby Jesus being put in its nacimiento.
One of the most important decorations for the nacimientos is the pashte; also known as paxtle, paste, pastle, or simply heno, which is the neutral Spanish word. Pashte is translated into English as Spanish moss; go figures. You must revisit the nacimiento photo from December 8th to see how pashte is used for the Nativity scenes in Guatemala. Pashte is used as the carpet for the nacimientos as pine needles are used as carpets for the Guatemalan homes in the Christmas season.
Musgo is the Spanish word for moss. Musgo is used for the nacimiento scenes (nativities scenes) in Guatemala. You buy musgo by la medida (the bunch) for Q5; depending in the size of your nacimiento, you may need two or three bunches.
Come back tomorrow to learn about the Guatemalan moss known pashte.
As I said at the very beginning of the Guatemalan Christmas Decoration series, the pine tree provides many elements of the Christmas decorations for Guatemalans like chicuyas (pine cones) as adornments, pine needles as carpets, and pine rings (cordones de pino). Cordones or cadenas de pino usually hang across the living rooms and around the Christmas tree and Nativity scenes. All these pine needles, pine cones, and pine rings, chamomile rings, tamales and ponche (fruit punch) provide the sweet and fruity smells of Christmas in Guatemala.
What things are hanged from the cordones of pino in Guatemala?
Paja (straw) or pajilla (little straw) are also found in the nativity scenes in the Guatemalan homes known as nacimientos in Spanish. As you can see, many of the Guatemalan Christmas decorations are made from natural plants.
We’re Hombres de Maíz. Follow the white rabbit and you’ll know why!
Corderos (lambs) made from tusa (dried corn husk) are very popular around the Christmas season. As decorations goes, these borregos (lamb) made from natural fibers from the dried corn husks can be found in windows, gardens, front yards, doorways, balconies; you name it and you will find carnero (mutton) there. Heck sometimes you find a whole rebaño (herd). In our home, we have four borregos, two in each balcony.
These corderos de tusa can set you back Q25 each; but they are a wonderful addition the Guatemalan Christmas decoration ensemble. Stay tune because there are about seven more photos in the Guatemalan Christmas decoration series.
Click the photos/thumbnails aside: I don’t know if it is obvious or not, but you can alway click the photos and thumbnails to get an enlarge version. Please, let me know, is it obvious?
These tree parasites are known as gallitos or patas de gallo. Once again, I am going to abuse from your kindness and ask to provide the English name for this plant that is often found as a parasite in trees.
Gallitos are an integral part of the Guatemalan Christmas decorations, quite often found underneath the Christmas tree or next to the nacimientos.
AntiguaDailyPhoto in an invaluable way to maintain our connection to Guatemala, until we can visit again. We love the themes that capture daily life--people, places, culture, activities, idiosyncrasies, etc. This includes controversy and politics. We love your just showing us what you see and think. Love the music, videos and maps.
NEVER enough food!! —SJBJ
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