Easter Week in Antigua - Guatemala!

The Easter does something with people. They get livelier. The rest of the year Antigua in Guatemala is a tranquil, idyllic town with 28.000 inhabitants, and a varying number of foreigners studying Spanish. It is located in the highlands, and with its colonial style buildings, its view to three magnificent volcanoes, its many markets, churches and cafés, it's a perfect, peaceful place to spend a few days - which could easily turn into weeks, as it did for me.

But for Easter Week things change and the city really comes to life. Visitors and faithful from far and near come to view the religious processions, and so do most of the pickpockets from Guatemala City.

The custom of religious processions dates back to the sixteenth century and was brought to Guatemala by the Spanish conquerors. Today the celebration of Lent and Easter Week in Antigua is second only to Seville, Spain. Each procession leaves from one specific church. Thousands of cucuruchos, processional carriers, take part in these traditions.

The floats with the sculpture of Jesus are carried by up to 80 men. Carriers change at each block. The procession begins with incense carriers, and a funeral band follows the float. When you smell the incense and hear the funeral marches you know the procession is approaching.

Photo. The floats with the sculpture of Jesus. This has very strong symbolic effects.

Photo. Preparation. Sometimes the carpet is completed only minutes before the float approaches.

Photo. A long colourful carpet. The design is imressing!

Designs are drawn, sawdust bought and dyed, stencils are made out of heavy cardboard and so on. This traditional activity brings neighbours and friends together, and unites the neighbourhood in a common task. The carpets are either made of pine needles and flower petals, or coloured sawdust. The most impressive carpets are made for the Good Friday procession, and can take 10 - 20 hours to make.

You must know when the procession passes by your house, and how long it will take to make the carpet. Sometimes the carpet is completed only minutes before the float approaches. This is not the right time to unleash your dog… Carpets are also made for the Sundays in lent.

One Sunday the students of my school made a carpet outside the school building. First we prepared the pine needles and the flowers, picking of the heads of red carnations, yellow chrysanthemums and many others. Then we had to wait for the street to be closed for traffic. The street was covered with the pine needles and the flower petals were arranged in a pattern on top. This took a couple of hours, and when we had finished we all agreed that ours` was the best in the street. Then we sat there waiting for the procession, proud when people passing by, took pictures of our alfombra.

The float is heavy and progress isn't exactly quick. It was dark by the time it reached our street. Finally we saw the first Roman soldiers and noticed the first smell of incense. Then came a group of men wearing long, pointed red hats, their faces covered. In the dark, with the fog from the incense and the funeral music it was almost a bit spooky. Next came hordes of carriers in purple robes, and finally, what we were waiting for, the float with the statue of Jesus. The carriers of the float are the first who are allowed to walk over the carpet.  

Photo: Roman soldiers. Is this the longest carpent here?

After the main float came the women, carrying a smaller float with the sculpture of the Virgin Mary. When the last funeral band passed not much was left of our well-trodden carpet. This was the happy end of a great cultural and social experience!

Kari Evandt, 7 December 2000

Additional information
Formal country name: Republic of Guatemala.
Area: 109,000 sq km.
Population: 11.7 million.
People: 56% mestizo/ladino descent, 44% Mayan descent.
Language: Spanish; Castilian.
Religion: Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Mayan-Catholic fusion.
Government: constitutional democratic republic.

Guatemala is the Mayan heartland of Central America. Have you seen the fantastic pyramids in the jungle? 

Read more about the Mayan culture on our website.