The Quietest Guatemala’s Independence Day to Date
For obvious reasons, this was the quietest and more solemn Independence Day celebrations that I have ever experience in Guatemala. Other than …
For obvious reasons, this was the quietest and more solemn Independence Day celebrations that I have ever experience in Guatemala. Other than …
As I have shared with you before, September 15 is the date to celebrate Guatemala’s Independence Day. Heck, to be correct, actually …
First of all, I want to wish a very happy Guatemalan Independence Day to all the loyal readers out there! With each …
Once again, as every September 15, the streets of La Antigua Guatemala were filled with students marching to all kind of sounds, …
Honestly, I don’t know why we still celebrate Independence Day in Guatemala. What we should be doing is putting a classified in …
This portrait of a Guatemalan man wearing the flag of Guatemala on his face was taken within two feet from him at …
Have a happy Guatemalan Independence Day weekend everyone. Enjoy the multimedia material I have compiled for you! Once again, we have to …
Once again Leonel “Nelo” Mijangos is sharing his photographs with us. Yesterday Nelo showed us some his photos for the student parades …
On September 14 10, people from all over the country begin a marathon to go to another part of the country to …
Getting everything ready for Independence Day Celebrations. This torch will light the Independence fire torches from all over Guatemala. These Independence torches …
As the Guatemalan Independence Day approaches, one begins to see all the bunting in windows and doorways around Antigua Guatemala. Since Jeff …
I haven’t seen the film yet, but the title alone is hauntingly enough, for me, to make me want to see it. Live and become could be the short answer for those searching how to make a Guatemalan from a newly adopted baby. With that in mind, I leave you a short slide show and a video clip of the activities around the Guatemalan Independence Day.
I dedicate these photos, video and sounds to all my Guatemalan readers living abroad; may these vistas bring you home for a little while.
Today Guatemala and the other Central American countries commemorate the bicentennial of the independence. As part of the no-crowds celebrations, the Banco de Guatemala put in circulation a Commemorative Bicentennial Twenty Quetzals bill… TAP to see the full size photos of the new Q20 bill and to read the complete post.
As I mentioned yesterday, on September 15th, Guatemala and the other Central American countrieswill be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Independence. Sadly, because of the pandemic, most massive events will not be allowed. So, Guatemalans are mostly observing the Bicentennial with flags, firecracker bombs and on the streets photo exhibitions… TAP to see the full size photo and post.
Guatemala’s Independence Day is observed on September 15th and since we celebrate the entire month September becomes into the Guatemalan flag season. …
As I have mentioned before in the archives, in Guatemala we celebrate Independence Day the entire month of September. Here’s a vista …
A few days before the celebrations of Independence Day on September 15th, the President of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales and/or the Vice President, …
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Bandera for flag. We wave goodbye to this mini series on the Central American …
First of all, I wish a very happy Central American Independence Day to all the loyal readers out there! Above we can …
As I have been saying, the 5-nation motif is repeated in many of the flags of the Central American republics as a …
Volcanos, triangles and stars are the two most often motifs found on the Central American republic flags. The Central American Federation flag …
Starting at the end of August, the ambulant flag vendors hit the streets with every flag size and shade of blue to …
There was a really weird vibe in the air the day after the elections. The results were disappointing and infuriating for the …
We continue our Independence Day celebrations coverage with this photograph of a couple little girls marching as part of a school parade, …
Since last Saturday, September 10, the “Flame of Independence” was set out at the doorsteps of Palacio del Ayuntamiento of Antigua Guatemala. …
I know, I know, Independence Day is officially observed on September 15. However, we don’t know how to celebrate just one day. …
Here are two different approaches to the distribution and sale of food. On one hand, the mercado is an agglomeration of small …
Have A Happy Independence Day everyone! Guatemala has one really strange celebration for the Independence Day festivities: Freedom Torches or Antorchas de …
If you have follow the daily updates from AntiguaDailyPhto you may know that I enjoy taking the most innocent and harmless photograph …
We continue our focusing on rustic door knobs and knockers with this new version of the typical, simple and functional colonial style …
As I mentioned earlier, Independence is celebrated through the entire month of September in Guatemala. These are the last few days when …
You guys and I are very lucky. Let me explain. The other day I was capturing the lighting of the torches and …
Guatemala’s Independence Torch Marathons is another manifestation of the celebration of the independence of Central America from Spain. This noise and peculiar …
Most Guatemalan grow up hearing “El Grito” and even dancing the “son” in school events. If there were an unofficial anthem for …
As I have shared with you before, during September Guatemalans celebrate its Independence Day on the 15th and for the entire month, …
Torches, marathons and student marching bands parades are the main activities Guatemalans do for celebrating Independence Day. These activities usually begin manifesting …
Today was the day. Today Fuego Volcano stole the spot lights with the largest pyroclastic activity seen in recent times. The arrest …
The Liberty Torches Marathons Have Began. As in previous years, people from all over Guatemala begin a marathon to go to another …
Guatemala has many traditions that have remained until now and will hopefully remain for centuries to come. One, as you already know …
Even Google celebrated Guatemala’s Independence 2011 with a Doodle. Also, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent their congratulatory remarks …
In September Guatemalans celebrate its Independence Day on the 15th, but through out the month you can find Independence celebrations and decorations. …
Most people in Guatemala often say that Guatemalans are not very “patriotic” and immediately mention how patriotic the Mexicans really are: “that’s really patriotism!” Heck I even heard an hour long radio show today discussing it.
School bands and parades were the norm to celebrate Independence Day before the December 29 signing of The Guatemalan Peace Accords of …
So, what kind activities are done in Guatemala to celebrate Independence Day? Most people in Guatemala often say that Guatemalans are not …
The official date for the commencement of the Christmas season in Guatemala is December 8th, although many malls and commercial centers, imitating …
On September 15th, at 6 p.m. all over main squares and central parks of Guatemala there is a civic act known as …
These little pre-primary school girls looked so cute with their uniforms for Independence Day Celebrations. I had to get the camera all …
I was lucky to get some pictures of the representation of the Leaders of Guatemala’s Independence Movement (actually, to be fair, I …
Guatemala’s public educational system is divided as follows: Pre-Primaria (Pre-primary also known as párvulos and kindergarten), Primaria (Primary school 1st to 6th …
Maybe we will get it right this election. —The Brunscheon, Oregon We hope so. —The rest of the world Well, as some …
A simple snapshot of a nightly parade on Independence Day in La Antigua Guatemala. I have lots of photos and videos to process and not much time to write a lot at this moment. Stay tune for the full coverage of the Independence Day in Guatemala.
The photo above was taken on August 31st, which was a payday and that is why you see all those people were queuing to get their salary from the banks. Tomorrow, Guatemalans will be queuing again to cast their vote. Also, this was the first time (this year) I noticed the Guatemalan flags that will adorn the buildings through September, which is the independence month. Guatemala’s so called independence from Spain is celebrated on September 15th. Check out the Independence Day Slideshow from last year.
I read recently (I don’t recall where at the moment) that to be truly independent a country must have sufficient wealth as to not have to depend on an outsider (duh!); well, let me break it to you guys, Guatemala has not been an independent country for the last 500 years or so. When I was teenager, I remember reading a Mafalda anthology where Mafalda was reading a history book and all of sudden she screams: You mean we were part of Spain, who the hell had the bright idea of independizarnos (freed us from Spain)! Back then, I laughed so hard at the comic strip, but just now I get the joke. Thanks Quino. 🙁
The People of La Antigua Guatemala and surrounding villages simply love to make processional carpets and the town fair provides the perfect excuse to make sawdust and flower carpets throughout the year; really why wait for Semana Santa (Holy Week).
Today I break away a bit from the daily photo format because I am including a slide show of the photos I …
Well, just two days ago I told you how the signing of The Guatemalan Peace Accords of 1996 had put an end …
As promised, today I bring a snapshot of the actual marathon. As you can see people, especially the young, seem to enjoy …
School bands and parades were the norm to celebrate Independence Day before the December 29 signing of The Guatemalan Peace Accords of …
The Guatemala’s Independence Day is the 15th of September. Guatemalans have many ways to display their patriotism, flags is one of them. …
There is something that I find attractive in this entrance gateway. Perhaps it is the metal jade plant blossom decoration, the lamps, …
Here’s another long exposure image capture to register the movement of this guitarist hand movement. This is another instance where movement can …
There was a plantón, sort of an occupy protest, called for many civil organizations to disrupt and put an end to the …
Even though at first I didn’t like the pastel yellow plaster applied to the newly restored Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, now …
After two and half years and Q16 millions/$2 millions spent in renovations Palacio de Los Capitanes has finally opened again. The new …
Guatemalans are not known for being patriotic; yeah Guatever! Nevertheless, we do have our patriotic symbols like El Quetzal, our most beautiful …
A creative framing on a quiet afternoon with just the right amount and kind of people and we get a post card …
El Palacio de los Capitanes building has to be one of my favorites edifices with lots of arches; and you know I …
I have talked about the recycling done in La Antigua Guatemala before with Haves and Have-Nots, Public Enemy Number 1, Guatemalan-style Salt …
These caramelized apples are a good example of the syncretism found in the Guatemalan gastronomy. As Pascu mentioned yesterday, “I find Guatemalan …
The Maya is a civilization really preoccupied with the unbearable lightness of being and masochistic on top of it all by keeping a long count which shows how insignificant we really are. We humans, however, we really muddle ourselves with all kinds of fixations, preoccupations and obsessions like dates.
I am glad to report the good news that Jean Ramses Anleu Fernández, better known as @jeanfer is free and happy since …
Some people have to wait until special occasions like Independence Day to see a fireworks show. Here in La Antigua Guatemala, thanks …
It just occurred to me that the United States is one of the largest Spanish-speaking countries since it has one of the largest populations of Spanish speakers. Spanish has been spoken in the U.S. from a time before its independence. And at the rate at which the Spanish-speaking population grows, faster than any other, you may have to hablar español sooner or después. Remember that you can always come to La Antigua Guatemala to take Spanish classes in the more than 65 Spanish Schools available in this tiny colonial town.
Even though Guatemala’s Independence is celebrated on September 15th and the days prior to that date, in reality Guatemala’s independence is observe …
September has been one of the rainiest month thus far, but you would not know it by looking at the recent daily …
I have other photos from the Guatemala’s Independence Day Celebrations which I would like to share with you and since September is …
Here is gift for those of you who like to collect the desktop wallpapers for your computer (18 so far). From here …
By this coming weekend, the area around this fountain will be so crowded that you won’t be able to see the fountain. …
Last week, as we watch the delegations parade at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Inauguration, I was thinking how wonderful it was to …
Did I miss a fútbol (Soccer) game today, or what? I know Bistrot Cinq is a French bistro on 4a calle oriente …
Like these two ladies, many wonder if the new Social Democratic cabinet will be more inclusive and responsive to the needs of the masses and hope that just having one woman Ministra and one indigenous Ministro (Secretary of an executive department) in a country where 60% of the population are indigenous and at least, if not more, 50% of the population are women, will not be a handicap when the times comes to address the needs of the aforementioned people, which in turn represent the majority of the population.
The Guatemalan Writers Side Note:
For being such a tiny banana/coffee writers republic, Guatemala does produce and export quite a few good writers. I have mentioned some of them in this site like Luis Cardoza y Aragón, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Enrique Gómez Carrillo, Pepe Milla, Ronald Flores. But, I have not done enough to talk about the great Guatemalan Literature written by its many excellent writers. Thanks to a comment by Coltrane_Lives about the possibility of his adopted Guatemalan daughter becoming a writer, I can point out a great Guatemalan novel written in English by Francisco Goldman, a respected journalist whose work appears often in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books and Harper’s (source: literaturaguatemalteca.org [ES]). “Francisco Goldman won accolades and international recognition with his extraordinary first novel, The Long Night of White Chickens, the winner of the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts… ” (source: amazon.com). Another great contemporary novel is Ruido de fondo (background noise) by my dear friend Javier Payeras. Javier Payeras is one of the clearest and loudest voices of this generation and his poetry and prose has won the recognition in and outside Guatemala. Ruido de fondo has been reissued by the Guatemala’s Government Editorial Cultura to be required reading for High School students in Guatemala. For those who are fluent in Spanish, I leave the link to one of my favorites poems by Payeras: Soledadbrother.
Elsewhere in La Antigua Guatemala, there is all kinds of Independence activities, similar to what I showed you last year. Today and tomorrow will be filled with patriotic sounds coming from the many students school bands and their parades, as well as the many Independence marathons which carry the patriotic fire in their torches back to their communities and villages. I will try to get at least some different shots of the activities, if work allows it. In the meantime, you can get a feel for the festive and noisy atmosphere we live now in La Antigua Guatemala by checking the entries below.
What is Rigoberta Menchú’s Mission, anyway? She has embarked in an impossible mission. She is running for the Guatemalan Presidency. So what, why is this an impossible mission? Isn’t she Guatemalan and thus possess the legal rights to run for the presidency? Well, yes, that is correct. But, and this is a big but, she is a woman; worst yet, she is an indigenous woman; even worst, she is an indigenous woman from the left.
I showed you these palm trees on August 28th as they reflect on the water tank at the public washbasins at Parque …