We continue the photographic tour of a Guatemalan town fair with a typical booth. Since the inflated toys and balloons are very obvious, we will play the game of naming everything else that you see on the table. I will get you started with the bags of peanuts on the left. Now it is your turn, name as many things as you can recognize. Let the game begin!
Ferris wheels are another element of the Guatemalan fair. There is at least one Ferris wheel, but more often two or three of different sizes. The Ferris wheel is known here by these names rueda de Chicago(Chicago Wheel), rueda de la fortuna (wheel of fortune) and vuelta al mundo (around the world). Fairs are made up by all kinds of ambulant stands. Fairs are like accordions, they grow or shrink depending of the size of the community or town. All these photos belong to the San Pedro Las Huertas, a small village just outside and belonging to La Antigua Guatemala. At the end of July, La Antigua Guatemala will have its massive fair in honor of Saint James or Santiago.
For those who like to imagine what ruins were like and what people did around them I have todays photo of San Pedro Las Huertas Town fair with the church (not a ruin) in the background and all kind of food vendors around the town’s plaza. So this is what the ruins looked like when they were in used by the people of the past. If you would like to browse for other photos from San Pedro Las Huertas, just follow the white rabbit or if you only want to see a better shot of the church in the background just say we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Above you can see the processional figures taking some time off from work in Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Church Ruins, near El Calvario in La Antigua Guatemala.
A few days ago, on May 3rd, Pamela, from Tenerife Daily Photo, posted a somehow modest cross for the Día de la Cruz if we consider that all around the Canary Islands the word cross, cruz in Spanish, is present in many of the towns like Santa Cruz, Puerto de la Cruz, et-cetera. Come on … Read more
Cucuruchos with their purple or violet cone-head dress are another prominent element of Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala. Last week, Santiago Durham asked what its the significance of the color purple or violet in the dress and banners during Semana Santa, well it took a lot of digging to find out (I turned around and asked my office coworker), but I can now tell you the 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.
The making of carpets from sawdust, pine-needles, flowers, vegetables is a community-forming tradition. People get together by block or near-by neighbors to create the carpets on which the processions will pass by. Sometimes the making of the carpets is done at night, all night so they are ready for next day’s procession.
Back on Ash Wednesday, February 21st, 2007, I said that in the Catholic Realm the Holy Week celebration had begun with Ash Wednesday. Around Antigua, this means the commencement of all kinds of religious rituals like processions. Above you see a children’s procession caught by my viewfinder on Saturday 17th. For many people not used … Read more
No, this is not the bust of Lenin. This is the sculpture of Francisco Marroquin, Bishop to Guatemala in 16th century, and founder of the third university in the American continent under the name of School of Saint Thomas, today Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). The School of Saint Thomas, Colegio Mayor de … Read more
We don’t love our land because of its great size and power, because of its weakness or tiny size, because of its snow and white nights or its solar rain, We love it, simply because is ours. — Luis Cardoza y Aragón Luis Cardoza y Aragón is another great Guatemalan writer, born in La Antigua … Read more
No, they are not Ku Klux Klan as you might be inclined to believe at first glance. They are cucuruchos which is the name given to the brotherhood who use the cone head-dress; in this case is the brotherhood of the nazarenos (from Jesus of Nazareth). Each brotherhood from each church wear a different color … Read more
In the first decade of 1600s, one ingenious Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra set out to write a humorous tale about a tall, thin, fancy-struck knight by the name of Quijote (Quixote in old Spanish) and the fat, squat, world-wearing Panza. He succeeded in writing a very comic story and a best-seller, but little did he … Read more
Catholics in the American Continent celebrate many of the same religious events and traditions on the same days, more or less, but they do not do it exactly the same. For instance, Posadas, small processions that take to the streets the images of Mary and Joseph on platforms, beginning on December 15th, are celebrated differently … Read more
Yesterday I mentioned that the traditional baked-clay comales are disappearing in Guatemala in favor of the metal comal; heated through gas. All this talk about the comal and some of you might be wondering what the heck, what is the comal and what is used for? Well, the comal is the Pre-Colombian stove for Mesoamerica. … Read more
No, we aren’t talking about Comal County around the San Antonio area in Texas (Click the link to visit San Antonio Daily Photo). We are talking about the griddle or grill made from cooked clay that is used for cooking tortillas or quesadillas. The comales seen here, the round clay-discs in the back, are beginning … Read more