Purple or violet and black are the colors of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos, float bearers, wear their cone-head purple robes as a sign of penitence. I am offering group and private Holy Week Special Photo Walks. Don’t miss the chance to capture amazing images during one of the most spectacular demonstrations of religious … Read more
Here’s another intimate portrait of a cucurucho father and his son on their way to find their spot for their turn to carry the float of the Escuela de Cristo Good Friday procession. Even though the setting looks peaceful; there were thousands of people all around us; this portrait was made during a split second … Read more
Here’s the short story, this grandmother poses on the other side of a procesional carpet, or alfombra in Spanish. A relative is taking a couple of snapshots. The photo walk group I am leading and I decide to also make some portraits of her. A cucurucho decides to photo bomb as he walks toward the … Read more
After hours of walking and carrying the heavy processional floats, cucuruchos need to hidrate themselves and what better way than with cold and refreshing granizada, shaved ice in English. Of course, during Lent this vista is quite common during the processions. Do you like sweet or salty granizadas?
You know you’re in Antigua Guatemala during the Lent season when you find cucurucho decorations everywhere. Many places also burn copal or have corozo providing the aromas of the season.
Here’s your Spanish word of the day: Cucurucho or cone head. Every so often cucuruchos need to refuel so they continue to carry the heavy floats of the Holy Week. Often they refuel with the street food vendors, but sometimes they need the extra kick, so they visit the coffee shops. What kind of coffee … Read more
Purple or violet is the color of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos, bearers, wear their cone-head purple robes as a sign of penitence. Not only Cucuruchos have to observe penitence for the Lent (Cuaresma) and the Holy Week (Semana Santa), but they also have to pay if they want to get a chance to … Read more
As I mentioned yesterday, there will be Lent and Holy Week celebrations in Antigua Guatemala for a long while. These religious traditions are being passed on to the very young. Here we see young cucuruchos, bearers, as they carried the small float from the Cathedral. I recorded a small video clip with the iPhone to … Read more
The procession of the fifth Sunday of Lent is quite possibly one of the largest processions in Antigua Guatemala. People just refer to it as the procession of San Bartolo, short for San Bartolomé Becerra. This procession leaves the church around 7 am and comes back 18 hours later, sometime between midnight and 1 am. … Read more
By the end of the 4th Sunday procession which comes out of the village of Santa Ana, Nelo Mijangos had already walked 93,2 kms or 57.91 miles on four consecutive Sundays of Lent. For this procession, Nelo decided to show us a detail of the lit float taken at night. Yes, in case you didn’t … Read more
The third of Sunday of Lent is the turn for the church of Jocotenango to put the best procession possible and believe, they do. For this Sunday’s procession, Nelo Mijangos took 925 photos and walked for 21.6 kms or 13.4 miles for those live in the cocoon known as the United States. How do you … Read more
The fear of photography is real in Antigua Guatemala. More often I am finding signs which prohibit photography. That’s kind of ironic is you take a moment to consider the Antigua Guatemala is the most important tourist and travel destination in Central America. You might recall a sign from the Only in LAG category which … Read more
Sábado de Gloria is a quieter day with only small processions carried by women known as Las Dolorosas (The Grief or Suffering women) follwing the Vía Dolorosa. Sábado de Gloria is also the day when Judas’ Will (testament) is read, a sort of farcical speech or a neighborhood chisme speech. Kids and teenagers also play … Read more
Cucuruchos with their purple or violet cone-head rebes are another prominent element of Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala. 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. Not only Cucuruchos have to observe penitence … Read more
I confess that you have to click on the image above to understand the title. I confess I have never in my life seen so many cucuruchos together. I confess I never been surrounded by so many violet or purple robes. I confess that I should have waited another 10 minutes to take photographs of … Read more