Under normal circumstances, we would be experiencing one of the most photogenic cultural and religious events in the world: The Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. However, because of the pandemic all massive events have been canceled in Guatemala. So I decided to share with you some photographs of vicarious vistas of what the Holy Week … Read more
2020 will be remembered as the quiet year; a year without processions; a year without massive events; a year without crowds. Yet on Palm Sunday, the people of Antigua Guatemala and its villages found a way to manifest their religious fervor and to display their adherence to centuries old traditions by stepping outside their door … Read more
Domingo de Resurrección [Easter Sunday] is the last day of Semana Santa [Holy Week]; thus on Monday the lenten decorations that adorn the doors and windows comes down to put away in storage until next year. I still have plenty of images of the Semana Santa that I can share with you this week unless, … Read more
I can’t believe it was last Sunday, Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday when we had the last procession of Cuaresma and Semana Santa, Lent and Easter week. Yet, as I pointed out earlier this week, some of the decoration are still hanging. Here you can see the decoration that adorned the inside of the parish … Read more
Can you believe that everyday this week I shared with you images of Semana Santa and except for a section of float in the portrait a cucurucho carrying his daughter, I actually never showed you a procession. Well, Domingo de Resurección, Easter Sunday, is the last day of the Semana Santa, so might as well … Read more
Before we wave goodbye to the Semana Santa coverage, how about a couple of pictures of details such as this carpets with a bird made out of oranges and mice made from red radishes? The alfombras procesionales, or processional carpets, are such creative ephemeral art, often completed within minutes of the passing of the procession … Read more
As I have been showing you each day this week, Semana Santa is a family religious event. It is also a time for bonding with sons and daughters while passing along the traditions of Guatemala. This Good Friday I share with you the portrait of cucurucho carrying his daughter while carrying the processional float from … Read more
Cucuruchos learn the process from very early age, many of them as babies dress up and are carried by fathers and mothers who instill in them the devotion and importance of participating in the religious traditions of Antigua Guatemala, processions being the most visual and public of all. Back on February I had already shared … Read more
As I have been saying the last few days, Semana Santa is a week of family time. Every member of the family involved somehow in the religious traditions of Antigua Guatemala. Such is the case here where a mother embraces her Dolorosa daughter who was ready to carry the processional float of the Virgen de … Read more
Entire families enjoy the processions of Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala. Often the entire family participate in different activities from making carpets, to carrying the floats or even taking pictures of the other family members participating in one of the many happenings of Easter.
The traditions of Antigua Guatemala are passed on to a new generation that would keep them alive. The elaboration of processional carpets is one such tradition that still very prominent with the younger generation.
We kick start the Semana Santa with the procession of Jesús Nazareno of La Merced around 9am this Palm Sunday morning. Below I leave you short video clip of the procession as it made its way out of the atrium of Iglesia La Merced. I captured this video while leading a Easter Photo Walk. If … Read more
Domingo de resurrección or Easter Sunday marks the end of the Holy Week. We wave goodbye to the processions, the carpets and all the purple and black robes for now. Of course, in Antigua Guatemala they will begin the preparations for Lent and Holy Week 2018 already. As some of you may know, this year … Read more
The Processional Marching Bands provide the sonorous aspect of Lent and Holy Week processions with the sorrowful notes. The music touches every fiber of the those present, especially the big heavy drums. The musicians are among the only people who get paid in the processions. Once again I made a time-lapse video to share with … Read more
Lent is also use to prepare and put the final touches on the floats and imagery used during the Holy week. The same can be said of the repairs made to the cobblestoned streets and the paint jobs applied to the façades of houses and churches.