Semana Santa, "Easter Week" in Antigua, Guatemala

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Holy week in Antigua, Guatemala is one of the most beautiful religious celebrations known in America. Not only has it's creation of luxurious carpets made up of colorful sawdust, flowers, and fruits become tradition for Antigua civilization during Semana Santa, "Easter Week", but it's religious grandiose homage to Jesus and his crusificition via Guatemalan artisans man made 'andas' (floats), statues and elegant robes proves that lent in Antigua, Guatemala leads to a true spiritual and cultural opportunity for one.

In Guatemala, processions (or as they would say, procesiones) occur during Holy Week and Lent. During my stay in Antigua, Guatemala I was privileged enough to personally view Antigua's Catholic celebration commemorating Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Have I ever been one with strong faith and core beliefs when it comes to religion? No, not particularly. But seeing all the beauty and strength each man and women of Antigua put into their Semana Santa; a day to celebrate "your" keeper, wasn't necessarily a religious experience as much as it was a cultural experience for myself. Perhaps I was to distracted by all the colorful creations that were surrounding me to find my center with God during the celebration, but one thing is for certain, I learned a lot that day.

After a bumpy six hour ride down the mountainous winding roads, our mission team made it to Antigua. Uninterested in unpacking after our travels, a few friends and I hit the cobblestone roads in search of a bar for a beer and some food. We desired something other then water and snack packs we ate for the days bus ride. Vacation begun now, and we were ready to indulge ourselves. We were aware of the celebration, but what we didn't expect was to be stuck in the middle of the Procession for over an hour! Although our tourist luck had become no roof top bar with 'fuball' on the one bunny eared television the bar owned, nachos that could feed three hunger aching adults or a quenching teguilla sunrise that we were in search for; we stepped back to watch the fifty plus men dressed in vintage vibrant purple robes move slowly with organized steps carrying a monumental float of Christ and the cross on top of their shoulders. Each man striding with their own face of agony and pride as they sung along with an orchestra commencing music throughout the whole procession behind them. A rope had encircled the procession on the cobblestone roads so no members of the community could distrupt the celebration.

Hundreds of sawdust carpets that had been created by residents and brotherhoods of the churches were stomped on as the ceremony proceeded itself. The roads were filled with colorful sawdust designs, flowers and fruits, that even the young children would sit awaiting to run up to the stomped fruit after the men had passed. It'd probably be safe to say that for most people who'd witness these children racing and fumbling to gather as many fruits as they possibly could before the next kid, would have thought that most of the fruit was better left untouched - but that train of thought may not be for others. As we watched the children run into the streets, like many of us had done as a young child racing out to collect numerous of goodies like pieces of candy or stickers from the "Float Queens" (as one kid back in her day might have called them), their action's didn't become a shock or a "really?" moment for me, but it sunk my heart and reminded myself that it truly should and always be about the little things in life that create happiness and a home. This Procession was the young children's own personal "parade" where fruits and beautiful flowers were their keepsakes - mine just happened to be piece's of candy that may or may not have been smashed every now and then as well.

Amongst watching the children gather their goodies I intently admired the variety of carpets that sparked my interest as they scurried across them. I found myself desiring to know more about them - cultural wise. Upon my research for these sawdusted beautiful carpets I came to find that the tradition of these intricate carpets in Antigua had come from the Colonial Era and the religious culture that the missionaries of that time had created. Every carpet drew your eyes attention downward to graze upon the townships raw materials and creations of symbolizing a vast selection of tributes during the religious procession of Jesus Christ. Who knew all one needs to create their own masterpiece is green pin needles, an arrange of in seasoned flowers from one's home and cut up fruits - or heck you can leave them whole!

As we started to believe the ceremony was coming to an end and we'd be able to cross over to the side of the street we were so dire to reach, we were stricken with a second andas that appeared to be carried by a group of women. These faithful women were dressed in black robes carrying their andas (float) of the Virgin Mary. Their passing through the procession was much faster. There are only twenty five women who aid in carrying the Virgin Mary, as their are fifty men who carry Christ and the cross.

As we started asking the locals that surrounded every inch of us about this religious commencement, we gained perspective that for years each man and women that we saw walking in the ceremony, aching their backs with strenuous hours of celebrating their religion as they vine through the cobblestoned roads, had worked harder hours, days, and even months on the colorful cultural beauty and displays of artwork that they utilize during Holy Week before they even made their first step in the ceremony.

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Photos

Alfombras "Carpet"
This particular alfombra was made up of pin needles and flowers

The Women's Andas
The women carried an andas with the Virgin Mary