As I said last year, in Guatemala we could and should write the Manifesto against Convenience. Why you ask? Well, can you believe that we still observe holidays and celebrations on the date they were created. Mother’s Day on May 10, Father’s Day on June 17, Santiago de los Caballeros on July 25 (Saint James), … Read more
Happy Guatemalan Mother’s Day! I especially wish a Happy Mother’s Day to my own madre. As Luna McCarthy mentioned in XelaDailyPhoto this morning: Mother’s Day always falls on May 10 in Guatemala, as opposed to many countries where it falls on the 2nd Sunday of May. Today is also a holiday for mothers in Guatemala, … Read more
I read this tweet about the Earth Hour (Hora del Planeta): @AndyStalman: Mas que apagar las luces habría que encender las conciencias! #HoraDelPlaneta Which I roughly translated to “Instead of turning off the lights we should turn on the consciences.” I thought, why not do both. I mean it certainly can not hurt to turn … Read more
Honest, I am very proud of our progressive little town, better known as La Antigua Guatemala. Take for instance the Día Internacional del Agua or World Water Day campaign that basically ask something direct and concise: Ducharse en vez de bañarse (Shower instead of bathing) to save water. You can also follow the different campaigns … Read more
Religiously, like every Ash Wednesday [miércoles de ceniza] before, La Antigua Guatemala get’s dressed up today with Lent decorations. Cuaresma is now officially underway. What do Lent decorations really mean? In plain English, it means the Processional season 2011 is already here; have you gotten your plane tickets yet? El Diablo no se quema film … Read more
I wonder what what is she thinking, I wonder what are the Guatemalan women thinking about on this International Women’s Day? In Guatemala, more than in other place in the world, there is a need for caring and protecting women’s rights. My best wishes to all the women of the world on your day and … Read more
These colorful Guatemalan cascarones [eggshells] filled with confetti are known as cascarones de carnaval [carnival] and they mark the arrival of carnaval and then Ash Wednesday (Miércoles de ceniza), which is the first day of Lent (Cuaresma). That’s right folks, on Wednesday we will begin the count down to The World Famous Holy Week in … Read more
The price of flowers goes up exponentially around certain dates like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, just to name a few. A dozen roses is selling for Q60/$7.50 right now, while the normal price at the market goes from Q20/$2.50 to Q35/$4.50 for a dozen roses, depending on the quality and whether one is a … Read more
What’s the relationship between Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt and Pope John Paul II you might be asking? Simple. Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt was beatified on June 22, 1980, and canonized on July 30, 2002 by Pope John Paul II. At the homily read by John Paul II in Guatemala City, on July 30, … Read more
In my never endless pursuit of bringing your familiar vistas from unfamiliar perspectives I present to you volcanoes Fuego and Acatenango as seen from San Felipe de Jesús. I know MO will be happy to comment on the omnipresent electric wires, but how about you, what you think? Have you seen the volcanoes from this … Read more
12. Colorful Guatemalan Balls, 11. Cathedral Spot Lights Zooming, 10. Sunday Mornings Begin with Coffee and Online Newspapers, 09. The Ages of Coffee, 08. Vive tu vida y deja vivir, 07. Antigua’s Bright Red, 06. Antigua Fragments, 05. Typical Guatemalan Breakfast, 04. A Colonial Church Within My Fingers, 03. The Cucurucho and The Photographer, 02. … Read more
At the end of the mass service for the Feast of Out Lady of Guadalupe while I was trying to get out of the atrium my girlfriend, who was just outside the atrium’s barred fence, pointed out how captivating and alluring was the image of the Christ figure being put down from the cross and all the careful hands over its body. I turned around and walked a few steps to a get the photograph above. The imagery of the Christ and all the careful hands bring the body down was a more authentic enactment than the eucharistic celebration we had just attended. Perhaps that is so because I am visual person.
After reviewing the series of photographs, I don’t know why I associated the above image with the video of Losing My Religion from R.E.M.; perhaps you can help me find out why. I will be looking forward to your comments.
P.S. I was told by clergyman that this Christ figure was also used for the canonization of Hermano Pedro de San José Betancurt on July 30, 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, 2010 in La Antigua Guatemala began at midnight with firecrackers, firebombs and fireworks. It was unusual for the celebrations to begin so early and wit so much commotion in every village, town and city in Sacatepéquez. How strange, we thought. A few hours later, we … Read more
This year’s Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been the best one I have covered in La Antigua Guatemala thus far. I took over 400 photographs and I believe I will have to split the religious event in three main days, which will coincide with the three themes for the celebrations of Feast of … Read more
La quema del diablo (Burning of the Devil) used to be this tradition, little known outside of Guatemala. I say “used to be” since the Burning of the Devil is now all over the Internet. I have a tiny share of responsibility because I’ve been promoting this tradition every year since 2006.
While glancing through all the different articles about the Burning of the Devil, I noticed that sometimes they have even quoted me directly in some of the articles or simply paraphrase some of the information I have published in the past. It’s good to know that AntiguaDailyPhoto is also a valuable source of information about Guatemala.
Here are some of the articles about the Burning of the Devil tradition:
The devil’s “will” is read: He leaves his greed to a wealthy local merchant and his manipulative skills to a prominent local politician, drawing hoots and guffaws from the crowd. Officials are rarely named, says Rudy Girón, an Antigua resident and editor of AntiguaDailyPhoto.com, but everyone knows whom the devil is talking about. “It’s humor-double-meaning speech making sure people know who’s being criticized without actually calling any names,” he says…
(Continue reading Run, Devil, Run by Michael Shapiro at American Way Magazine)
The tradition of burning the devil began in colonial times. In anticipation of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, those who could afford it adorned the fronts of their houses with lanterns. Eventually, the poor who could not afford such lanterns began gathering their garbage and would burn all of the year’s rubbish in front of their houses. Over time it was formalized and in addition to individual piles of garbage, communities started to burn The Devil to clear the way for Mary’s feast…
Guatemala has just celebrated a beloved tradition: la quema del diablo, the burning of the devil. Across the country, people lit bonfires and burned images of Satan as a way to symbolically cleanse their houses. The government thinks this custom has gone too far. NPR’s John Burnett sent this postcard from Guatemala City…
One tradition that certainly puts our spring cleaning to shame is Quema del Diablo, or the Burning of the Devil, which takes place every December in Guatemala. Guatemalans have long believed that the Devil lurks in the dark and dusty corners of the house and in garbage, so every year before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), people sweep him out of their houses and chase him off by burning their household refuse in bonfires topped by effigies of the Devil.
Marimba bands and fireworks add to the festivities. Some of the biggest celebrations are in Antigua and Guatemala City.
In Ciudad Vieja, a Devil three stories high is set alight in the city square at the stroke of six. Quema del Diablo is just one of the 192 unusual happenings described in the Lonely Planet guide, “A Year of Festivals.”
