We witnessed Semana Santa in Guatemala. It was Spectacular.
Ryan and I got lucky. As in, really, REALLY lucky.
It was late March…
… when we rolled into Antigua, one of Guatemala's most beautiful and beloved towns. Known for its Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone streets and numerous museums, we knew this would be a great halfway stop during our cycling trip across Guatemala. And truth be told: we had simply forgotten about the fact that Easter Sunday was approaching. It was only when we arrived in a jam-packed town with purple banners hanging from every building that we realised: "Oh, this is an important time of year. And when we Googled "Semana Santa", we knew we were in for a treat.
Semana Santa…
… also known as “Holy Week”, celebrates the seven days leading up to Easter. In Guatemala, celebrations happen in the form of impressive processions and alfombras. The latter are colourful sawdust carpets, sprinkled with the occasion flowers and plants. It's quite the effort to make these huge carpets with intricate patterns and eye for detail. Families often work throughout the night, up to 12 or 16 hours, to finish their carpet... just in time for it to be trampled by the many feet of a passing procession!
“Beauty is not meant to last”, they say, and these alfombras serve as the perfect offering for Jesus Christ.
As for the processions...
we still lack the words to describe it. Imagine large and heavy floats depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ carried by dozens of people hovering from left to right. These floats sometimes weigh a tonne or more, and as the procession marches by, you can clearly see the sweat and pain on the carriers' faces. The drums are beating mournfully and everyone is dressed in purple or black robes. At night, these floats are magically illuminated, rendering the whole spectacle an air of magic and mystery.
A Sense of Community and Belonging
It's no wonder that Guatemala's Holy Week has been labeled as UNESCO cultural heritage. Even though we are not exactly religious, we were deeply impressed. The process of the entire community gathering in the same clothes, walking the same procession, carrying the same float and tending to the same sawdust carpet... That sense of belonging, of being part of something larger than life, hung heavy in the air.
We watched Mary and Jesus' tearful faces march by several times, and thousands of us turned quiet, as in mourning.
At times, it felt both real and surreal.
If you ever have the chance to experience Semana Santa in Latin America or Spain, we can recommend it from the deepest of our hearts! When people come together, they can do magical things. ♡
