Once again we are celebrating Saint James Day in La Antigua Guatemala, or Día de Santiago, as we call it in Spanish. I said it before and I will say it again, parades is the second most popular activity in La Antigua Guatemala after processions, of course. So, today streets were full of school bands, … Read more
I have to declare parades in La Antigua Guatemala as the second most popular activity after processions, of course. You are as likely to encounter a parade as you are procession any given day of the year. This parade was celebrating the 100 years of funding of INSOL, the women only school that goes by … Read more
I believe that processions and parades are the most popular public manifestations of antigüeños. It’s almost impossible to conceive Antigua Guatemala without a parade or procession almost every week. Here, for instance, I encountered an interesting student parade celebrating the anniversary of their school. From what I was able to determine, each classroom picked a … Read more
Sometimes it seems that antigüeños only celebrate with parades and processions. I say this because almost every month you encounter a procession or a parade and on special occasions you find both. The celebrations of Santiago, Saint James, are a very good example. Here’s another short video clip showing one of the marching bands of … Read more
As I was walking I could hear the sounds of a drum line. To my surprise it was an all girl school parading through the streets showing off their skills. Honestly they were good! Coming from a former drummer’s perspective I am picky about my drum lines. It was fun to watch and listen as … Read more
If there were an unofficial anthem for Guatemala, that would be El Grito. Most Guatemalan grow hearing El Grito and even dancing the “son” in school events. Here’s a question for the Guatemalans living abroad, when was the last time you heard El Grito and what kind thoughts crossed your mind? Here’s yet another dose … Read more
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? ¡Que alguien me lo explique!
These little pre-primary school girls looked so cute with their uniforms for Independence Day Celebrations. I had to get the camera all the way on the floor to be able to catch them as they stride to find the position of their school in front of the Cathedral, in Central Park. I really like the … Read more
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 grade), Secundaria (Secundary school, 3 years known as 1st basic through 3rd basic or Básicos) and Diversificado (3 years corresponding to the last years of High School; also known as Preparataria in other … Read more