AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com

Once again, as in previous years, my dear friend and colleague Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos takes the steering wheel of AntiguaDailyPhoto during Semana Santa (Holy Week) to share with us his amazing and unique imagery of the most special celebration in Antigua Guatemala. This year Nelo has decided that the main running and connecting theme will be the photographers of the Semana Santa, so the main photo will always be a photographer, often another friend from Club Fotográfico de Antigua, plus other stamps of the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala.

Today’s main photograph is wonderful portrait of our friend Willy and a very good representation of the two passions many us share at Antigua Guatemala’s Photo Club. By the way, if you’re in Antigua Guatemala now or will be within the next four weeks, stop by the Casa del Turista, Antigua’s tourist information board, to look at the Gente y Tradiciones de Semana Santa photo exhibit organized by the photo club members where you will find large format photographs by Willy, Nelo, mime and other photographer friends.

Please, let’s show Nelo our gratitude through comments and feedback as token of our appreciation for always sharing with us his amazing and unrivaled Holy Week images.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

Los antigüeños ya estamos cansados de tantos hechos delictivos que están pasando en nuestra amada ciudad mientras tanto las autoridades no se les ve nada. Éste es un espacio dedicado a promover la seguridad en nuestra querida Antigua Guatemala.

Antigüeños contra la delincuencia, Antigua Against Crime¹, is a peaceful movement promoting a crime awareness campaign and demanding immediate actions from the authorities to bring back safety and security to Antigua Guatemala. Peaceful demonstrations are scheduled for March 6, 7 and 8 in front of Antigua Guatemala’s cathedral. You can follow their activities and demands through their public page on Facebook Antigüeños contra la delincuencia.

photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

(1) Delinquency is not correct the translation of the Spanish word delincuencia; Crime is probably a closer match.

The Cuaresma (Lent) period which leads into Semana Santa (Holy Week) begins every year with Miércoles de ceniza (Ash Wednesday). As in previous years, I set myself aside and let my dear friend Nelo share his excellent Cuaresma imagery since he’s quite possibly the person with most photos of Lent and the Holy Week; he’s been covering almost every Lent and Holy Week for over a decade.

Below Nelo shares different vistas of the first velación, vigil, of the Cuaresma at Iglesia de San Felipe de Jesús.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

I want to publicly thank my dear friend and colleague Nelo Mijangos for sharing his wonderful Lent and Holy Week photography with us. Also, I want to praise his fabulous new angles and less traditional perspectives for the Holy Week photos.

Norman Ávila, the brains and enthusiastic person behind ClimaYa (Guatemala’s real-time weather reports), sent me these images of Nelo at work hanging from an electric pole. Later on Nelo sent me a photo he took from this vantage point with his iPhone 4. Thanks to Norman Ávila we get the real-time weather reports in AntiguaDailyPhoto, GuatemalaDailyPhoto and XelaDailyPhoto.

If you appreciate the Lent and Holy Week photos shared with us by Nelo, please do let him know in the comments.

Last but not least, remember that you can check out what happened during Holy Week in XelaDailyPhoto and GuatemalaDailyPhoto.

Photos of Leonel Mijangos by Norman Ávila. Vantage point photo by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

Sábado de Gloria is a quieter day with only small processions carried by women known as Las Dolorosas (The Grief or Suffering women) follwing the Vía Dolorosa. Sábado de Gloria is also the day when Judas’ Will (testament) is read, a sort of farcical speech or a neighborhood chisme speech. Kids and teenagers also play at getting each other wet with water balloons. Although I have not seen these two traditions in many years; I wonder if they still exist.

Today we take the opportunity to share various Holy Week vistas from La Antigua Guatemala.

Enjoy your weekend and set your timer for the 5-year anniversary of AntiguaDailyPhoto.com on May 1st. What should we do?

Also, remember that you can check out what is happening during Holy Week in XelaDailyPhoto and GuatemalaDailyPhoto.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

Today the whole Church mourns the death of our Savior. This is traditionally a day of sadness, spent in fasting and prayer. The title for this day varies in different parts of the world: “Holy Friday” for Latin nations, Slavs and Hungarians call it “Great Friday,” in Germany it is “Friday of Mourning,” and in Norway, it is “Long Friday.” Some view the term “Good Friday” (used in English and Dutch) as a corruption of the term “God’s Friday.” ["Viernes Santo" or Holy Friday in Antigua Guatemala] (source: CatholicCulture.org)

Do not underestimate the power of catholic imagery. You see, the world-famous Antigua Guatemala processions are about showing the devoted images as a reminder and representation of the crucifixion of Jesus. Revue Magazine has an article by Dwight Wayne Coop that chronicles how the Jesús Nazareno de la Merced was taken to Guatemala City in 1778 in order to force people to abandon Santiago de Guatemala (La Antigua Guatemala) in favor of the new capital Guatemala de La Asunción (Guatemala City).

Here’s a fragment of the chronicle, make sure your read the entire article which is funny, historical and an eye opener:

The killer quake that rattled Panchoy Valley (La Antigua) in 1773 led to the founding of a new capital in Ermita Valley in 1776. But even then, most Santiagans refused to move. Similarly, after Hurricane Hattie ravaged Belize in 1965, the government of Belize founded Belmopán—only to see the population of Belize City stay put.

The job of moving La Antigua’s masons, maids, porters and wet nurses to Ciudad Real (Guatemala City) fell in 1778 to viceroy Martín de Mayorga. His biggest card was the bond that Santiagans felt to Jesús Nazareno and to another wooden statue, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. Move these images, Mayorga reasoned, and you move the people. (source: Revue Magazine)

Also, today all Stations of the Cross altars will be open and many if not all procession will pay a visit to El Calvario Church, which is located on the southern outskirts of La Antigua Guatemala. El Calvario or Calvary (Golgotha) is the name of the mount on the outskirts of Jerusalem where it’s believe Jesus Christ was crucified. This church with its three arches provides a symbolic representation of the crucifixion; with each arch representing each cross.

Here’s a panoramic view of the culmination of the Good Friday procession as it enters the Antigua Guatemala cathedral.

Also, remember that you can check out what is happening during Holy Week in XelaDailyPhoto and GuatemalaDailyPhoto.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

Cucuruchos with their purple or violet cone-head rebes are another prominent element of Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala. Purple is worn as a sign of penitence. As a matter of fact, processions are a sign of penitence as well, heck the whole Semana Santa is a penitent act.

Not only Cucuruchos have to observe penitence during Lent (Cuaresma) and 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 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. You make the numbers…

Also, remember that you can check out what is happening during Holy Week in XelaDailyPhoto and GuatemalaDailyPhoto.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos