Semana Santa procession in Antigua Guatemala
Many places in the Catholic world organise processions during Semana Santa, the Holy Week leading up to Easter, but none do it as extravagantly as Antigua Guatemala. The tradition arrived on the back of the Spanish colonial power, in 1524. Every self-respecting church in town – and there are quite a few! – sponsors a procession, which consists of huge floats (Andas, in Spanish) carried by people associated with that church. The men (Cucuruchos), dressed in purple cloaks, carry the wooden sculptures of Christ and the cross, the women (Cargadoras) carry sculptures of the Virgin Maria. The processions, during the entire Holy Week, culminate in the ones on Good Friday, which enact Jesus’ walk to the cross. After three o’clock on Friday, the hour of Christ’s death, the processions change; everybody now goes dressed in black, and continues until deep in the night.
huge floats are being carried through the streets
not only by men, also by the women, who carry the Virgin Mary
It is an honour to participate in the carrying, but also a burden, as many of those floats weight well over 3500 kilograms, and require up to eighty Cucuruchos, who are constantly being relieved by others during the procession. They are accompanied by brass bands, groups of Roman soldiers and lots of incense-burning, all together creating a solemn atmosphere.
accompanied by brass bands
which include the drums
as well as the brass
the beginning of an ‘alfombra’
use of coloured sawdust
and the last hand being laid, without damaging the earlier work
the end result, one of the carpets, sunflower design
and another one, different design
people admiring a carpet
A particular aspect of the Antigua processions is that the local residents, on the day before the final processions, decorate their streets with elaborate carpets (Alfombras) made of coloured sawdust and flowers, fabulous creative constructions meticulously put together by people ultimately sitting on wooden planks above the carpets not to damage them, whilst putting the final touches. They easily spent a full day making those alfombras. Which are then trampled over by the procession and destroyed in minutes.
Pictures say more than words (and a video would have been better… sorry)
(2002)
the Romans are coming, at the head of the procession
they, too, make a lot of noise
one of the many floats
carried by many, in purple cloaks
even the young, with sun glasses, participate
some of the young are being carried, instead of the floats
and not everybody carries, all the time
there are different processions, too
and not all carry a float
and not all are dressed in purple
toys made for the day
also in several colours
and taking the opportunity for the family photo
later on Good Friday, dressed in black
a boy symbolically carrying hamer and nails
another Virgin Mary, carried by the women
equally testing, a heavy burden
the Good Friday processions continue until deep at night
