Semana Santa Vistas: Boy making a carpet
The traditions of Antigua Guatemala are passed on to a new generation that would keep them alive. The elaboration of processional carpets …
Lenten Vistas — Devoted Couples
Lent and Semana Santa is time to show devotion and love as you can see in the picture above. With this wonderful …
Lenten Vistas — Photographers
Nowadays I believe there are as many photographers as cucuruchos, well maybe half or so as many cucuruchos. Of course, many cucuruchos …
Lenten Vistas — Purple Banners
Another typical vista during Lent is the purple banners and bands that adorn many houses and business doorways and windows. Palacio de …
Lenten Vistas — Carpets
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Alfombras procesionales for processional carpets. To look at the Lenten processional carpets you …
Lenten Vistas — Floats and Wires
If you follow the Lenten processions through the northwest part of Antigua Guatemala you will invariable come across images of floats trying …
Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 10
As I mentioned yesterday, procession give us a window into the full spectrum of the Guatemalan identity. Here’s a Maya woman with …
Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 9
Lent processions provide so many opportunities to capture the essence of the Guatemalan identity as well. Here’s a street portrait of a …
Special Lent Photo Walks in Antigua Guatemala
Join me for a very special photo walk every Sunday of Lent, from 2 pm to 6 pm. Don’t miss this once-a-year …
Portrait of Father and Son Cucuruchos
The tradition of carrying the processional floats starts at a very early age as you can see here with portrait of a …
Feliz Navidad Wishes from Antigua Guatemala
Today I share with you a picture of a colorful ceramic Mayan-styled Nativity scene and a Merry Christmas for you and your loved ones wherever you are!
Christmas season festivities around Antigua Guatemala
As I have mentioned many times before, the dry season is the best time to visit Guatemala. During the dry season we …
The big tall doors of Antigua Guatemala
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Portón for large doorway. Not only in churches and convents you find large tall …
No eclipse show in Antigua Guatemala
When is the dry weather when we need it the most in Antigua Guatemala. I mean, why did we have a full …
Mexican Music Style Band in Antigua Guatemala
The entire world walks by the Parque Central of Antigua Guatemala. Sit by a bench like the people in La Bancada and …
Corpus Christi Celebrations in the Villages of Antigua Guatemala
Corpus Christi celebrations mark the start of the town fairs of the villages of Antigua Guatemala and surrounding communities. Here’s a vista …
The End of the 2017 Holy Week
Domingo de resurrección or Easter Sunday marks the end of the Holy Week. We wave goodbye to the processions, the carpets and …
Holy Week Vistas — Cucurucho kids having an ice cream break
One of the most important lessons we can take from experiencing the Holy Week in Guatemala is the many different ways of …
Holy Week Vistas — Photobombing a Grandmother during the Holy Week
Here’s the short story, this grandmother poses on the other side of a procesional carpet, or alfombra in Spanish. A relative is …
First Ever Desfile Bufo of the Huelga de Dolores in Antigua Guatemala
How about a satirical parade about a procession? As I said before, in Antigua Guatemala the two most popular form of manifestation …
Lent Vistas — The Cucurucho and The Photographer
Cucuruchos and Photographers need to take a few breaks through out the processional route at the tienditas. This is one of the …
Lent Vistas — Cucuruchos having granizadas
After hours of walking and carrying the heavy processional floats, cucuruchos need to hidrate themselves and what better way than with cold …
Lent Vistas — Alfombras
The processional carpets not only provide beautiful ephemeral art to the eye, often, they also give us the aromas of Lent and …
Lent Photo Walks in Antigua Guatemala
Every Sunday of Lent I am leading some very special photo walks, from 2pm to 5pm, and during the Holy Week, from …
Weekends in Antigua Guatemala
There’s so much to see and enjoy during the weekends in La Antigua Guatemala in December. From recitals, to processions, to posada …
Street Portraits of Strangers — Alejandra
Alejandra is a student showing off her attire for the Saint James Feast school parades. As I have mentioned before, in Antigua …
Selfie Generation During The Holy Week
We wave good-bye to Semana Santa 2016 with the most emblematic image found during the Holy Week: The Selfie. As every year, …
Vistas from The Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala
The Holy Week is almost over. I have a few dozen photographs such as this one in my archives now. Tomorrow, Domingo …
The Holy Week Roman Soldier Refueling Station
I always wondered where do Roman soldiers and cucuruchos [coneheads] refuel for the tremendous amount of energy required to do a full …
Street Portraits of Strangers — Tiny Cucurucho Boy
As I mentioned yesterday, Lent and Holy Week are an equal-opportunity events where everyone can participate, including little boys and girls barely …
Lent and Holy Week Information Kiosks
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Kiosko or Quiosco for kiosk. During Lent and Holy Week, you can find information …
Young Cucuruchos in Antigua Guatemala
Lent and Holy Week are traditions for everyone, including children, where boys and girls have processional floats that they can carry. I …
The Cucuruchos and The Drones in Antigua Guatemala
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Cucurucho or cone-head. Cucuruchos are the men who carry the heavy processional floats. What …
Lenten Carpets of Antigua Guatemala
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Alfombra procesional for processional carpet. One of the aspects I really enjoy of the …
Delivering Christmas Pantry Baskets in San Pedro Las Huertas
You can sense the Christmas spirit already in and around La Antigua Guatemala, alright. From the processions, the convites, the town fairs, …
Capturing El Sombrerón on the streets of La Antigua Guatemala
Often times we get lucky during the photo walks that I lead in La Antigua Guatemala because it seems that there is …
Encounters of the third kind in Antigua Guatemala
Antigua makes me happy! La Antigua Guatemala is full of surprises. Whether you make a right or left turn, a procession, a …
Guatemala’s Independence Day Parades
Once again, as every September 15, the streets of La Antigua Guatemala were filled with students marching to all kind of sounds, …
School Parades on Día de Santiago
Once again we are celebrating Saint James Day in La Antigua Guatemala, or Día de Santiago, as we call it in Spanish. …
Parades in Antigua Guatemala
I have to declare parades in La Antigua Guatemala as the second most popular activity after processions, of course. You are as …
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala
The Holy Week Is Officially Over! Yes, it’s official, the Semana Santa is over. Now, it is time to ponder over the …
Holy Week Vistas: Cucurucho Photographers
I don’t know how it happened, but nowadays many cucuruchos, the cone head float carriers, are also carrying cameras to photograph the …
Holy Week Vistas: Children’s Precessions
As I have said before, the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala is an equal opportunity celebration. Sure, cucuruchos take the majority of …
Holy Week Vistas: Street Food Stands
Another typical vista of the Holy Week is all the street food stands around town. I mean almost everywhere you walk you …
Holy Week Vistas: Shrines and Photographers
We continue our Holy Week Vistas series with the shrine at la velación, vigil, inside La Merced church. Lots of photographers around …
Guatemalan Smiles at The Park
This is what happens when you point your camera to Guatemalans, yes automatic smiles. I dare you to try it next time …
Let’s Celebrate Maximón Day
In Guatemala, Maximón is celebrated on October 28 by those who worship the Maya saint, also known as San Simón. Today, I …
Festivities of Santiago in Antigua Guatemala
Today we have more good news from Antigua Guatemala. Today we celebrate the founding of the City of Santiago de los Caballeros …
Maximón and Mishito
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Mishito or kitty or gatito in plain Spanish. Now, the effigy next to the …
Guatemalan Portrait: La niña de Guatemala
If you don’t know who José Martí was, you are about to read a little about one of the most important figures …
Holy Week Elements: Alfombras
The processional carpets are among the most creative and colorful elements of the Holy Week in La Antigua Guatemala. In this case, …
Holy Week Elements: Timonel
Here’s your Holy Week Spanish word for the day: Timonel The timonel is the person at the front of the processional float …
Holy Week Elements: Cucuruchos
Purple or violet is the color of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos, bearers, wear their cone-head purple robes as a sign …
Holy Week Elements: Tren de Aseo
As I walked the streets of the Antigua Guatemala villages I noticed the neighbours sweeping aways the carpets from Palm Sunday since …
The Central American Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Riders in Antigua Guatemala
Well, as I have reported in previous years, between precessions, a jazz festival and a Central American meeting for Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders, …
Velación [Vigil] de San Felipe de Jesús
As explained last year, velaciones, vigils, are a very important tradition during Lent and Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. Velaciones are altars …
Boy at the Home Altar in San Gaspar Vivar
This boy, Kevin, was observing the altar made by his family to receive the San Gaspar Vivar procession on Día de los …
Día de Reyes Magos at San Gaspar Vivar
In Christian tradition the Magi (Greek: μάγοι, magoi), Three Wise Men, Three Kings or Kings from the East are said to have …
Posada Nights in Antigua Guatemala
Since the night of December 15, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of La …
Antigua Guatemala Tourists
This has to be the high season for tourism during the dry season; everywhere you walk, there are tourist groups. Of course, …
School Anniversary Parade
I believe that processions and parades are the most popular public manifestations of antigüeños. It’s almost impossible to conceive Antigua Guatemala without …
Antigua Guatemala Semana Santa Photos
With this gallery of Semana Santa photos from Antigua Guatemala, Nelo Mijangos shares with us an overview of the many vistas one …
Holy Thursday Photos from Antigua Guatemala
These photographs belong to the procession of Santuario de San Francisco El Grande. Nelo explains that the two wood rods that stick …
What Are Antigua Guatemala Velaciones (Vigils) Like?
Velaciones, vigils, are a very important tradition during Lent and Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. Velaciones are altars or shrines made for …
Perpetuating The Holy Week Traditions in Antigua Guatemala No. 2
As I mentioned yesterday, there will be Lent and Holy Week celebrations in Antigua Guatemala for a long while. These religious traditions …
Antigua Guatemala Celebrates it’s 470th Anniversary
The fountains are decorated with flower arrangements as part of the low profile celebrations for Antigua Guatemala’s 470th anniversary this March 10th. …
Let The Photographers In for Lent and Holy Week
Just as cucuruchos and processions are the staple imagery of Lent and Holy Week in La Antigua Guatemala, so are the photographers …
Lent season decorations
It’s impossible to miss the Lent, Cuaresma we call it in Spanish, in Antigua Guatemala as you encounter decorations, shrines, carpets, vigils …
Lent Is Altar and Carpet Time
Lent is also the time for shrines, carpets, vigils and processions. Out of nowhere any of these things can appear anywhere and …
First Vigil of Lent in Antigua Guatemala
This is the first vigil of the Lent season with its traditional stalls of chicken sandwiches, the batido drink and other meals …
The Three Wise Kings Day or Epiphany in Antigua Guatemala
Unlike other catholic countries, Guatemala does not make a big deal of the arrival of the Tres Reyes Magos (Three Wise Kings) …
Inside View of the Escuela De Cristo Church
I don’t think I have share many photos from inside the churches and the reason is that photography is prohibited inside many …
Iglesia Escuela de Cristo Reflected on a Fountain
I have not idea why La Escuela de Cristo church is so important in Antigua Guatemala. The two largest processions from Antigua …
Making Alfombras for Corpus Christi Feast
The making of carpets from sawdust, pine-needles, flowers, vegetables, et cetera is a community-forming tradition. People get together by block or near-by …
Having Ice Cream in Antigua Guatemala
It’s amazing how people outside Latin America don’t realize that despite the crime and violence that shown through the news, most people …
Slideshow: Holy Week 2012 in Antigua Guatemala
The traditions of Guatemala are kept alive by the faith and fervor of the people and that’s exactly what Nelo wanted to …
Visiting to photograph the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala
Visitors are also among the photography crows that follow the processions during the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. You can find all …
Every day we die a little
I never realized how much people die every day until I lived in a town where almost each death is announced by …
Posada Enactment for the Elders
Beginning on December 15, there are sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of La Antigua Guatemala. María …
Cucurucho Candles
You’d be amazed on everything that might be for sale on the streets of La Antigua Guatemala during Lent. This time while …
Ensamble Antiqua
The Santo Domingo del Cerro hosted a Baroque music concert on Palm Sunday, and well, after Nelo’s wonderful work on Processions, perhaps …
Nelo’s Vantage Point
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.
Antigua Holy Week Various Vistas
Sábado de Gloria is a quieter day with only small processions carried by women known as Las Dolorosas (The Grief or Suffering …
Antigua Holy Week Imagery
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.
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.
Antigua Holy Week Cucuruchos
Cucuruchos with their purple or violet cone-head rebes are another prominent element of Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala. Purple is worn as …
Antigua Holy Week Floats
There’s nothing more impressive during the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala than seen these massive floats, andas in Spanish, being carried by …
Antigua Holy Week Carpets
The processional carpets are among the most creative and colorful elements of the Holy Week in La Antigua Guatemala. As I’ve mentioned …
The Holy Week Photographers
Okay, the 365-day wait is over. The world-famous Holy Week in La Antigua Guatemala is here. Get your cameras ready and join …
Putting Up The Lent Season Decorations
Every week, many more houses and buildings are putting up their Lent decorations. This house located on Calle de Los Pasos, which …
Three Free Wallpapers from Antigua Guatemala
Okay, enough I say; it’s been way too long since I gave away free wallpapers; since December 23, 2010 to be exact, …
Lent Season Decorations Are Up
Religiously, like every Ash Wednesday [miércoles de ceniza] before, La Antigua Guatemala get’s dressed up today with Lent decorations. Cuaresma is now …
Antigua’s Wedding Season Is Here
The dry season could also be called the wedding season since it is the time of the year when La Antigua Guatemala …
Nine Days of Posadas
We interrupt our regularly scheduled December comfort foods series to bring you the following special bulletin. Since yesterday night, December 15, there …
Maximón Lives!
A few months ago, I posted as part of the Theme Day some Maximón effigies made from wood, now holly wood really …
Holy Week Generations
Slowly, but surely the love, devotion and passion for the world famous Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala are being passed on to …
The Morning the Romans Arrived in La Antigua
At 3:30 in the morning and by the light of the full moon as the rooster crowed a couple times, my husband …
Theme Day: Red
The making of sawdust carpets, alfombras de aserrín, with its vivid colors and eye-catching patterns are among the most prominent elements of …
Holy Week Play in Antigua Guatemala
You think Antigua Guatemala is just processions for the Semana Santa? Wrong. There is more… there are also plays, like this one. …
Exotic Flower Arrangements
This was the second time I was alerted about the exotic flower arrangements placed on the fountains prior to a procession or …