In the Old Antigua Tradition

Learn where there is wisdom,
where there is strength,
where there is understanding,
so that you may at the same time discern
where there is length of days, and life,
where there is light for the eyes, and peace.

--Baruch 3:14

















It was 3 a.m. on Good Friday, and the streets rang with the customary clanging of church bells that sound hourly in the old colonial town of Antigua, Guatemala. Not so customary were the crowds of people that gathered in the dark, huddling together and clinging to warm beverages, poised to observe and celebrate the height of Holy Week. A week-long fest of food, music, art, drink, and general familial togetherness, Semana Santa (holy week) is a cultural-religious phenomenon long prized by the Spanish-speaking world. It prompts some of its most spectacular ceremonies in Seville, Mexico City, and, luckily for me, Antigua.

In Guatemala, a country where religion and culture are virtually inseparable, Catholicism dominates, represented by around two-thirds of the population. A fast-growing evangelical Christian community is close behind. Semana Santa begins on Palm Sunday, peaks with the commemoration of Christ's crucifixion, and ends with the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Processions















Antigua celebrates with a series of reenactments, processions, and ceremonies, each phase of the story of the Passion symbolized in the corresponding days' events. The processions are astounding--some last more than 12 hours, with tens and sometimes hundreds of processors (called cucuruchos) dressed in purple silk. The first in line have enormous images of Jesus of Nazarus hoisted on their shoulders...




...followed by more cucuruchos swinging heavy silver urns that cast clouds of incense smoke through the streets...

...and bringing up the rear are the the solemn members of marching bands playing funeral dirges as observers listen, some weeping, some snapping photos...

















The processions always come in sets of two; the second wave is for the Virgin Mary, her images held by lines of women dressed in black and white lace...





















Children are eager participants--young trainees for the next generation of traditionalists...

















Onlookers marvel...



...and vendors have a heyday as the crowds grow exponentially throughout the week...



Alfombras

The most impressive facet of the week by far was the enormous traditional carpets (called alfombras) that line the cobblestone streets throughout the old city. Alfombras come most commonly in the form of colored sawdust but are also constructed out of colored sand, flower petals, and even fruits and vegetables. The idea is that each household or storefront builds a carpet on their stretch of the street for the cucuruchos to walk over as the processions make their way through the city. Throughout the week, we would delight every time we happened on an alfombra-in-progress, as they were being constructed continuously on most side streets and alleyways. The tradition has become a bit of a unofficial competition among Antigua residents in both creativity and meticulous dedication--some families spend over ten hours on their carpets, setting up glaring stage lights in the middle of the streets in order to work late into the night. In the dark hours of Friday morning, as we waited for the main procession to start (kicked off by Roman soldiers riding horses through the streets at 3am), the alfombras easily stole the show...

The best part of the alfombra-viewing was the atmosphere; the anticipation and joy involved in such deep-seated traditions was contagious. Even during the wee-est hours of the morning, residents left their doors open, porches lit; cakes and pastries were set out as offerings for passersby; coffee shops served hot drinks; and flowers were displayed everywhere. Families sat on their doorsteps watching with pride as visitors oogled over their newly-adorned stretches of street, and vendors shouted about traditional easter foods and toys on sale. The 5a.m. processional went off without a hitch, and after it passed, we all walked home for a few hours of sleep just as the sun rose and the fog lifted over Volcano Agua...



Friday was decked with signs of mourning--black crepe paper, white flowers, eerie quiet despite growing crowds. A mock trial for the sentencing of Christ began at midday in the main square, and the crucifixion followed (for a much more hardcore reenactment of the crucifixion than Antigua manages, check out the Philippines, where they nail real people to crosses). At noon, the cucuruchos traded their glossy purple robes for black ones.





Church is where the rest of the weekend was spent--Saturday for bereavement, Sunday for rejoicing. Antigua easily accommodates this ritual with its countless churches, both intact and in ruin, each with their own take on the occasion.