Semana Santa
I've been gone for a while, having vacations. I've been to Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala, to celebrate Semana Santa (the Holy Week). It's been great! Nice with some change, to see a new place (new for this trip at least), meeting new people and most of all experience a totally new tradition!!!
Antigua is a small, cute and very touristy city close to the capital. It's one of the few places in Guatemala where you can actually expect people to speak some English. Where you can eat international food and have a cold beer. And where you don't have to feel like you are the only white person on the planet... Antigua is also well known for it's Easter celebrations, here called 'la Semana Santa'. It's said to be the best in whole Latin America, and the second biggest in the world (after Sevilla, Spain). So do you think I went there with some expectations?! I did...
... and I didn't get disappointed. The Guatemalan easter celebrations are a beautiful mix of Catholic traditions and pre-colombian Maya traditions. The streets are filled with people during the whole week, both day and night. There are groups decorating the cobblestone streets with straw and sawdust in all colors possible. Delegations from different churches (and as you allready know there are a lot of those...) dress up in beautiful lilac dresses (black for Good Friday) and walk in long slow processions through the city, carrying Jesus, Mary and other important figures on big thrones. There is also a lot of incense and music following the processions.
For those of you who like pictures I'll give you some of that now. It's hard to get good shots though, since most of the processions are done at night when it's dark and also a bit more risky to bring the camera out in the streets. But just enjoy! And for those of you that I'll meet later on, I can show you some shorter videos...
Antigua, ready for the celebrations!
One of all the churches.
Preparing the way for the saints.
Making real art.
Beautiful! And just to be destroyed by another procession an hour later...
Another kind of 'alfombra'. Showing suffering through the themes 'guerra' (war), 'hambre' (hunger), 'peste' (pest, like SIDA=AIDS) and 'muerte' (death).
A lot of water and work is needed.
Inside the church. Well, no, it's not a carpet. It's another hand-made 'alfombra'.
People in procession on Holy Wednesday.
This is what they will carry around later on in the streets on Maundy Thursday.
Awaiting the procession on Easter Day.
Happy people on Easter Day.
'I am the bread of life.' Hallelujah.
Glad Påsk!
Antigua is a small, cute and very touristy city close to the capital. It's one of the few places in Guatemala where you can actually expect people to speak some English. Where you can eat international food and have a cold beer. And where you don't have to feel like you are the only white person on the planet... Antigua is also well known for it's Easter celebrations, here called 'la Semana Santa'. It's said to be the best in whole Latin America, and the second biggest in the world (after Sevilla, Spain). So do you think I went there with some expectations?! I did...
... and I didn't get disappointed. The Guatemalan easter celebrations are a beautiful mix of Catholic traditions and pre-colombian Maya traditions. The streets are filled with people during the whole week, both day and night. There are groups decorating the cobblestone streets with straw and sawdust in all colors possible. Delegations from different churches (and as you allready know there are a lot of those...) dress up in beautiful lilac dresses (black for Good Friday) and walk in long slow processions through the city, carrying Jesus, Mary and other important figures on big thrones. There is also a lot of incense and music following the processions.
For those of you who like pictures I'll give you some of that now. It's hard to get good shots though, since most of the processions are done at night when it's dark and also a bit more risky to bring the camera out in the streets. But just enjoy! And for those of you that I'll meet later on, I can show you some shorter videos...
Antigua, ready for the celebrations!
One of all the churches.
Preparing the way for the saints.
Making real art.
Beautiful! And just to be destroyed by another procession an hour later...
Another kind of 'alfombra'. Showing suffering through the themes 'guerra' (war), 'hambre' (hunger), 'peste' (pest, like SIDA=AIDS) and 'muerte' (death).
A lot of water and work is needed.
Inside the church. Well, no, it's not a carpet. It's another hand-made 'alfombra'.
People in procession on Holy Wednesday.
This is what they will carry around later on in the streets on Maundy Thursday.
Awaiting the procession on Easter Day.
Happy people on Easter Day.
'I am the bread of life.' Hallelujah.
Glad Påsk!
Kommentarer
Postat av: Anonym
This is just amazing! I am learning so much history with you Jonna! =)
Did you know all that already or did you look for it before going to Antigua? How is Katta?
Awesome pictures!!!
Postat av: Felix
Great pictures, Jonna! I like the colourful street art.
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