Oktoberfest is celebrated in many venues in Antigua Guatemala. Here’s the 2nd Oktoberfest from Chermol, one of the restaurants betting the house in the craft beer revolution in Antigua Guatemala. As you can see through the photographs, not only were they serving the usual national lagers, but also a nice selection of crafted beers from … Read more
Let’s just celebrate our diversity today and everyday! Today is a national holiday in Guatemala: Día de la Raza. So, I would like to share with you the face of cultural resistance in a world where identity is being erased or blended; in Guatemala the Maya women still represent a strong footing for the Guatemalan … Read more
First of all, I want to wish a very happy Guatemalan Independence Day to all the loyal readers out there! With each passing year, the parades of Día de la Independencia de Guatemala are becoming more elaborate and diverse. Here, for instance, there’s a environmental portrait of two Garífuna musicians bringing the flavour of the … Read more
We continue our Independence Day celebrations coverage with this photograph of a couple little girls marching as part of a school parade, zig-zagging through the streets of Antigua Guatemala. So, as you can see we have marathons, parades, marching bands, musical recitals and flags, many flags as part of the activities to celebrate the Independence … Read more
Since last Saturday, September 10, the “Flame of Independence” was set out at the doorsteps of Palacio del Ayuntamiento of Antigua Guatemala. That’s the Muni for short or city hall building for those monolinguals. As in previous years, people run marathons, zig-zaging the entire country, to pick the flame of independence to bring back to … Read more
I know, I know, Independence Day is officially observed on September 15. However, we don’t know how to celebrate just one day. So Independence Day actually becomes Independence Month. So there you have it, that’s why everything turns white and blue during September. So, to get you into the independent mood, here’s Guatemala’s National Anthem … Read more
Alejandra is a student showing off her attire for the Saint James Feast school parades. As I have mentioned before, in Antigua Guatemala every celebration calls for processions or parades, sometimes both as it was the case of Día de Santiago Apóstol.
As every July 25, La Antigua Guatemala, formerly known as La Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, or The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Saint James of the Knights of Guatemala, celebrates its patron saint day with all kinds of activities, but the most prominent are … Read more
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Cascarón for eggshell. What do we do with cascarones? Well, young people (i.e. children and/or children at heart) smash them on the heads of unsuspected victims. Since there is usually a costume party involved with Carnival you don’t know who your victimizer is. The confetti gets inside … Read more
Convites are a very unusual kind of parade from Guatemala. The most famous convites are from Ciudad Vieja, Sumpango, El Tejar, Villa Nueva, but there are convites en many places in Sacatepequez and the entire country, for that matter. Convites started as sort of announcement parades for religious festivities and civic activities in some municipalities … Read more
As every December 12, Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe is observed in Guatemala. Unlike other years where I normally head to Iglesia de La Merced to capture the activities held there as part of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this year I decided to document the convite parades and costume dances from … Read more
Ferias, or town fairs, would be quite boring if fair rides were not there to light up and make for a fun experience for the dare devils. As shown here, the different fair rides are big magnet for children and adults alike. In the background we can see the temple of Ciudad Vieja. By the … Read more
El hombre propone, Dios dispone y El Diablo lo descompone. What better way to caption these portraits of strangers at the Burning of the Devil festivity in La Antigua Guatemalan than with this famous saying that roughly translates as “Man proposes, God disposes, and the Devil counterposes.” Let me explain. See a Russian couple and … Read more
Well, not really. See you see all these masks are for parades celebrated through out Guatemala, but prominently at Ciudad Vieja and now in San Pedro Las Huertas, so I have been told as part of the dance-drama called “Danza de la legión de los 24 diablos” or “Dance of the legion of 24 Devils” … Read more
Once again, as every September 15, the streets of La Antigua Guatemala were filled with students marching to all kind of sounds, not just military tunes. As I have said before, processions and parades are the favourites street manifestations of antigüeños. Here are a couple of captures from the many different school parades around the … Read more