Our Visit to Antigua, Guatemala for Easter

[Tharmas]

I was going to put this in with the travel pictures, but decided to give it its own thread.

We visited the old city of Antigua in Guatemala about ten years ago to observe the Easter pageants.

The costumes were good:

Well before dawn on Good Friday the townspeople begin decorating the streets with “carpets” made of flowers and colored sands. The designs are quite intricate:

As the morning progresses the designs get more elaborate.

Then in the afternoon penitents begin carrying dozens of enormous floats from out of the central cathedral. Some of them weigh tons.

This one is carried by women:

They march all over town, up and down the streets with the beautiful carpets.

When it’s all done, it’s time for cleanup:

I suspect that the thrust of this ritual predates the Conquest and has Mayan roots, but I’m not sure.

 

[Tharmas]

Indeed, a few minutes on Google tells me that the Mayan tradition of laying out flowered carpets (alfombras) for their kings to walk on is the root of this Catholic tradition. (https://guatemalareservations.com/guatemala-easter-is-a-unique-cultural-celebration/


I am fascinated how Catholic myths are intertwined with indigenous myths in Latin America.

 

[DBT]

Looks like an interesting place, very scenic. The volcano looks ominous.