Guatemala, one week before the jewish passover,
celebrates, the passion, death and resurection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in a
very particular way. The processions was bought from south Spain, AndalucÃa,
when conquers came to the new world America, comes with this traditions. But in
Guatemala, change the way to carry processions, like the Spanish people carry
the processions in AndalucÃa and Malaga Spain.
Everything begin with the ash Wednesday, and also
begin 5 lent Friday´s where the catholics has to do fast, means each lent
Friday catholic avoid to eat, and offer that to God. Each lent towns around
Antigua Guatemala, put out of the church of the village a procession, the
people paint the saddust in their homes and this is for the pass of the
processions.
* Palm Sunday:
On this day the church gives you palms for celebrate
the remembrance of the enter of JesusChrist on Mule to Jerusalem, also there is
a procession, in Guatemala City downtown, that day that goes out of the church
at 5 o’ clock in the morning and back to the church at 3 pm.
* Saddust Carpets:
In Guatemala city the people who lives in the
downtown, gather money for buying saddust and paint it for the pass of the
processions. The designs are made by the people of the block. This process last
about 8 hours before the procession passes thru the carpet and destroy it at
all. These carpets are made with love, for Jesus Christ.
In Antigua Guatemala the people decorate the carpets
with fruits; many people make critics about this. But the real thing is that
the people who carry the processions never put a feet over the carpet, this is
a way of a farmers to ask Jesus Christ better harvests whole year.
* Processions:
Guatemala City has about 200 catholic churches, 7
churches has processions whole Eastern time from Monday to Friday. You can
carry a procession by one block, the shifts of entrance and exit of the church
only can be carried by people of the brotherhood of the church or someone with
enough influences into that church.
The bigger procession on Guatemala city is the Entombment
on good Friday, this procession has of each side 118 spaces or shifts to be
carried to the procession.
Other famous procession in Antigua Guatemala is San
Felipe de Jesús procession that goes out of the church at 3 pm and goes back at
3 am of the good Saturday.
Always Antigua Guatemala does not have enough space on
this season, because to the tourist like to see how the people do the saddust
carpets and follow the processions, is not places or hotels to stay in, in
Guatemala city we have space, but in my particular opinion is so beautiful both
places for live eastern time the best way.
* Why People do this?
Well the answer is simple, for follow the path of the
cross with Jesus Christ carry him over their shoulders, is an act of penitence,
there is people that is making line to buy the right of carry procession or
shift since December, the shifts are distributed by height.
The most important day is Resurrection Sunday but the
people are no so enthusiastic to carry processions that day; because they go to
beach for enjoying with their families. The name of the persons who carry
processions is Cucurucho, from Palm Sunday to Good Friday on morning they wear purple
color that is lent color. In Catholic Church Good Friday after 3 of black
color, can be suit, or can be the special dress of the brotherhood that day.
By: Francisco Grazioso
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