The color red is the official color of Nochebuena and Navidad in Guatemala and nothing exemplifies this better than the Pascua plants, poinsettia flowers… TAP to read the entire post and see the full size photo.
Everywhere you walk in Antigua Guatemala now you fill Christmas decorations. I captured today’s photo of the traditional posada lanterns and omnipresent …
Today I share with you how the world-famous Arco de Santa Catalina looks like with the fleeting stars Christmas lights surrounding the …
In Antigua Guatemala, the official Christmas season begins with the celebrations and activities organized in honor of the Virgin of Immaculate Conception …
The theme for the Christmas lights decorations through out Antigua Guatemala is fleeting stars; especially Calle del Arco with its repeating estrellas …
All the branches of the trees in Parque Central are glowing at night the thousands of Christmas lights. It’s such a warm …
Christmas day is such a quite and relaxing time in Guatemala, except for the burning of fireworks and firecrackers at noon and …
The Christmas decorations are everywhere in Antigua Guatemala now. You can even find them on the colorful public transportation buses as shown …
In additions to the over 100,000 Christmas lights installed in every tree of the Parque Central, this year they added Christmas lights sculptures like the one shown above so people can take their selfie… TAP to see the full size photos and post.
The last week of November municipal employees were busy installing the Christmas light decorations through out the city. The angel wings illuminate Calle del Arco from Parque Central to Iglesia de La Merced… TAP to see the full size photo and post.
Well, it looks like in 2021 the Christmas decorations will put away much sooner than under normal circumstances. Just yesterday I shared …
For this Christmas season, Calle del Arco was decorated with Xmas lights in the shape of angel’s wings. This is what they …
In Guatemala, Christmas is a family day; an occasion for strengthening the family bonds. Christmas is also a feast day full of …
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Nacimiento for Nativity Scene. For those who are not familiar with Catholic imagery, …
As I have shared with you before, flores de Pascua or pascuas, are the most popular Christmas floral displays. Poinsettias are also …
Chichitas amarillas, yellow nipples or nipple fruit, or Chichitas de Esquipulas are two popular name for this organic Guatemalan decoration found around …
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Gallitos for air plants. Another popular organic Guatemalan Christmas Decoration are Gallitos. As …
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Pashte for Spanish moss. One of the most important organic decorations for the …
Let the nine days of posadas navideñas begin. Since this morning, December 15th, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest …
Did you know that nacimientos, pesebres or Nativity were first introduced to the American Continent through the city of Antigua Guatemala by …
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Pascuas for Poinsettias. With each passing year, poinsettia growers develop new colors and …
The Christmas season in Antigua Guatemala begins with a cleansing pyromaniac ritual by burning the devil which represent all the negative feelings …
I much prefer to have all the trees at Parque Central lit with Christmas lights than to have a Christmas tree somewhere …
Merry Christmas to y’all!
For today, I decided to shared a humble corn-husk Nacimiento, another popular style found in Guatemala.
You must watch the video tour and pictures included in this post to believe the complexity and size of this Nativity scene. Heck, they recreated most landmarks of Antigua Guatemala as part of this Nativity scene.
Gabriela Orozco García, 19 years old, puts the final touches on a figure of a Mayan-inspired Nativity scene. The Orozco García family from Antigua Guatemala are renown artisans who produce ceramic Nativity scenes with Mayan attires from all regions of Guatemala.
Posadas navideñas are small processions enacting the search for shelter of Joseph and Mary right before the birth of baby Jesus. Here …
The nacimiento or pesebre, Nativity scene, at the San Francisco El Grande church in Antigua Guatemala is even bigger than the one …
The Nacimiento inside Iglesia La Merced is huge. I had to use a fisheye lens to capture most it and I still missed at least 25% of the Nativity scene. Click the link to watch a short video clip of this Nativity Scene.
Here’s a Maya-style Nativity scene found as decoration in one the popular hotels here in Antigua Guatemala. In fact, they had quite …
For being such a tiny country Guatemala, it tops some lists, not all bad either. For instance, Guatemala is a top producer …
Here’s a sampling of the most popular Christmas decorations used in Guatemala. How many Christmas decorations do you recognise or which one …
You can sense the Christmas spirit already in and around La Antigua Guatemala, alright. From the processions, the convites, the town fairs, …
As I have explained before, Nacimientos are Nativity (Navidad in Spanish) scenes shrines made to celebrate during the December until Christmas or …
Here’s your Spanish words of the day: Noche Buena or Christmas Eve. As in previous years, I saw a caravan with Santa …
Did you know that the official name for Antigua Guatemala’s parque central is actually Plaza Mayor? Also the benches around the Fuente …
This picture was taken from the second floor of the municipal palace, around 7pm, even though the City Hall building closes its …
Once again Parque Central is looking radiant for the Christmas season with the help of over 200,000 lights. It is a very …
Since the night of December 15, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of Antigua …
This boy, Kevin, was observing the altar made by his family to receive the San Gaspar Vivar procession on Día de los …
In Christian tradition the Magi (Greek: μάγοι, magoi), Three Wise Men, Three Kings or Kings from the East are said to have …
One thing I can not share with you is the aroma of Christmas that I get while walking around town. The Christmas …
Yo no olvido al año viejo (I don’t forget the old year) Porque me ha dejado cosas muy buenas: (Because it left …
The burning of fireworks and firecrackers for Christmas Eve is less than for New Year’s Eve, but impressive nonetheless, especially when you …
In Antigua Guatemala we woke up to this sunny and gorgeous panoramic vista of the volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenago with a …
Guatemala’s a pyromaniac hell or paradise, what is it? Since Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are the perfect night for fireworks …
December is also the time for convivios, Christmas convivial get-together parties or lunches. Almost every restaurant you go to has tables setup …
Instead of buying stuff, these two musicians decided to play and sing some Christmas carols for a group of shoe-shiner boys who …
Besides the omnipresent fireworks and firecracker street booths, one can also find Christmas decoration street shops when anyone can pick up Christmas …
Anyone who has spent Christmas and/or New Year in Guatemala can agree Guatemalans are bunch of pyromaniacs. Even Boing Boing editor Xeni …
On the last week before Christmas one can find festive decorations everywhere, including the streets of many of the villages around Antigua …
Since the night of December 15, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of La …
The other day I had the opportunity to make a couple of photos of the Nativity scene enactment or Nacimiento as people …
With the Feast for the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, antigüeños begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a …
There are over 200,000 lights over the trees of La Antigua’s main square. These are the main Christmas lights decorations you will …
Among the most popular foods found for dinner in Christmas Eve and during Christmas are tamales colorados (red tamales), tamales negros (black …
Here’s a simple Nacimiento made from corn husks to celebrate Navidad. As I have described before, with the Feast for the Virgin …
Poinsettias or Flor de Pascua are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring for the Christmas season. The most …
The market in Antigua was a bit mad last night. There’s a whole little enclave of Xmas kitsch at the rear that …
Guatemala’s a pyromaniac hell or paradise, what is it? I remember reading earlier this year a tweet from Xeni Jardin, one of …
Merry Christmas Eve! In Guatemala, Christmas Eve is as important as Christmas. People stay up all night waiting for midnight to have …
In Guatemala poinsettias are known as Flor de Pascua, Flor de Noche Buena or simply Pascuas. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala and …
We interrupt our regularly scheduled December comfort foods series to bring you the following special bulletin. Since yesterday night, December 15, there …
Even though you may seem Christmas decorations as early as September in Guatemala, the official Christmas season celebrations begins with the Burning …
Christmas is such a quite and relax day in Guatemala, except for the burning of fireworks and firecrackers at noon and 6 …
Christmas Eve or Noche Buena in La Antigua Guatemala is celebrated by staying up all night burning firecrackers and fireworks, eating tamales, …
Believe it or not Santa Claus paid a surprise visit to La Antigua Guatemala two days before Christmas. No wonder we have …
What characteristics or traits can be extrapolated from a culture by looking at a simple kiosk? I’ll start and then you share …
During early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo …
Ho ho! not the Christmas shopping you were hoping for… merely some Guatemalan Christmas decorations (follow if you dare; I will not …
It was only last week that I told you that often during December or the Christmas season, there are several free concerts …
Pascuas (Guatemala) and Flor de Noche Buena (Mexico) are how poinsettias are known in Spanish. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala and Mexico …
Unlike other Spanish-speaking countries, Guatemala does not make a big deal of the arrival of the Tres Reyes Magos (Three Wise Kings) …
Oh please, please, can somebody explain to me where did these tacky dancing Disney figures come from and how they became such …
You saw the lambs made from dried corn husks just a few days ago. Then you saw the Spanish moss or pashte …
Aserrín (sawdust) is used often in Guatemala for decorations, especially the world famous Holy Week carpets. Sawdust is dyed with bright colors …
Christmas Day is a very quiet and easy-going day in Guatemala. But, it does not begins like that. On the contrary, right …
Right at midnight on December 24th/25th, baby Jesus is put in the Nacimiento scene set up on December 8th (do you remember?). …
On December 23rd the quest for lodging or the act of pedir posada ends and marks the beginning of preparations for Christmas …
One of the most important decorations for the nacimientos is the pashte; also known as paxtle, paste, pastle, or simply heno, which …
Musgo is the Spanish word for moss. Musgo is used for the nacimiento scenes (nativities scenes) in Guatemala. You buy musgo by …
As I said at the very beginning of the Guatemalan Christmas Decoration series, the pine tree provides many elements of the Christmas …
Paja (straw) or pajilla (little straw) are also found in the nativity scenes in the Guatemalan homes known as nacimientos in Spanish. …
We’re Hombres de Maíz. Follow the white rabbit and you’ll know why! Corderos (lambs) made from tusa (dried corn husk) are very …
These tree parasites are known as gallitos or patas de gallo. Once again, I am going to abuse from your kindness and …
Flor de Pascua, Flor de Noche Buena or simply Pascuas are how poinsettias are known in Guatemala. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala …
The chamomile rings are known as manzanilla in Guatemala (tejocotes in Mexican Spanish). The aroma of a Guatemalan Christmas decoration is provided …
Pino is the name by which Guatemalans refer to the pine needles used as Christmas decorations, specifically, to spread around the floor …
Chicuyas is the name by which Guatemalans name the part of the pine tree, which I don’t its English name (can you …
So after the Burning of the Devil is over and the set up of the Nacimientos has already began, we can assume …
The official date for the commencement of the Christmas season in Guatemala is December 8th, although many malls and commercial centers, imitating …
