Guatemala Holidays
Guatemala is a land of predominantly small area festivals and larger national holidays, many of which are rooted in religious traditions. Mayan religions and traditions continue to remain strong within the indigenous population and are often intertwined with Catholic tendencies. Many of Guatemala's towns have a representative "Cofradia", which is a town-elected group of men and women who are responsible for caring for the religious icons that represent the saints of their respective village. This tradition shows the melding of Catholicism and traditional Mayan religious practices. Traditional dances also often display a mix of Mayan tradition and the Iberian and Moorish influences that date back to the arrival of the Spanish colonists. Along Guatemala's eastern shore, the African roots of the Garifuna people tend to make their way into the traditional dances that characterize their holidays and fiestas.
Small village festivals are celebrated around the country and throughout the year, meaning you may be lucky enough to catch one during your visit. You can expect a lot of fanfare during Guatemala holidays and festivals, and more often than not, you should be prepared for fireworks. One can imagine that accidents do happen when you consider the copious amounts of "El Boj" that are typically imbibed. Alcohol consumption is quite common during fiestas, and boj is a strong drink that also goes by the name of Guaro or Venado. Typically known as well as "white lightning", Guaro made from sugar cane. It is quite strong and varies in quality. As far as food goes, a popular dish at fiestas is known as "Sak ik". A traditional ceremonial meal, Sak ik is based around turkey and an accompanying white sauce. Finally, you can't have a good fiesta without some music. You will commonly see the marimba employed in village fiestas, as well as other instruments such as the woodwind chirimia and, of course, drums.
Some national holidays in Guatemala are like those of North America, only with different celebrations. New Years Day is celebrated most commonly by wearing new clothes in the hopes that this will bring luck into the new year. One of the more celebrated national Guatemala holidays is Independence Day, which falls on September 15. The whole country embraces this celebration with dances, the customary fireworks, and parades. In the city of Quetzaltenango, you will find the largest Independence Day celebration. New Year's Eve is one of the noisier Guatemala holidays, with fireworks ripping throughout the whole of the country. Song and dance often compliment a rather crazy tradition in which "Toritos", or men wearing a cage of explosives, dance through the crowd while setting off their fireworks. Leading up to Christmas, you can find the town fair in Chichicastenango to be a fun affair. Traditional music and dances help to celebrate the coming holiday season. Quite like you would expect in the United States, many of the national and religious holidays often result in the closing of government agencies, as well as banks and schools.
The king of all Holidays in Guatemala is Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Celebrated throughout Latin America, Semana Santa is a collection of religious processions and plays that depict the Crucifixion and subsequent Resurrection of Jesus. One of the more tourist-friendly holidays in Guatemala, you will find the most famous Holy Week celebrations in Antigua. "Alfombras", or rugs, that consist of interwoven flowers, plants and pine straw, cover the streets and are quite colorful. Antigua's Semana Santa attracts thousands of visitors, so be sure to book a room early in one of the numerous Antigua hotels. Not quite as big as Semana Santa, the Guatemala Carnival holiday is celebrated in February during the week leading up to Lent. The Guatemala Carnival holiday, while not coming close to rivaling the celebrations in Brazil, is a fun affair with the most notable of celebrations happening in the southwest region of Retalhuleu. The city of Livingston, which is found along the east coast of Guatemala near Santo Tomás de Castilla, has its own Guatemala Carnival holiday. A special Caribbean-inspired carnival, this party lasts from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. The local Garifuna population is integral to the celebration, displaying their own music and dances. Holidays in Guatemala are numerous, and a good amount of planning may be needed to make sure you find the one that most interests you.
Semana Santa
Holy Week - Easter
Holy Week - Easter
Holy Week in AntiguaThe observance of Semana Santa and Lent adds to the importance of Antigua (La Antigua) Guatemala. The city was declared a National Monument by the Guatemalan government in 1944, a Monument of the Americas by the General Assembly of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History in 1965 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 (site number 65). Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event, and thousands of national and international visitors flock to Antigua to witness the dramatic happenings. Taking place sometime between March 22 and April 23, the entire week is full of solemn activities that replicate the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ, culminating in jubilation on Easter. The special flavor of this event arrived with Spanish missionaries from Seville, who brought Andalusian flavor to the religious phenomenon during colonial times (Quintanilla Mesa, 1989). The event begins on Palm Sunday, during which the venerated images of Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Nazareno) and the Holy Virgin of Sorrow (Santisima Virgen de Dolores) are carried from their churches through the city on the shoulders of devoted followers who carry lanterns while dressed in purple robes with white waistbands. Similar processions that venerate images from various churches also occur on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, replicating the final days of Christ on the earth. On Good Friday the streets of Antigua are covered with natural, aromatic carpets (alfombras) of flowers, pines, clover and fruits, which the residents put together and place in front of their homes. There are all kinds and shapes. Some are very long, even up to a kilometer, with colonial, Mayan, Roman or other original designs. At 3:00 A.M., preparations begin for the mock trial and sentencing of Christ. Participants dress as Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate and other participants in the drama. At 7:00 A.M., the sculpture of Christ carrying his crucifix is moved through the carpeted main streets of Antigua on the shoulders of his worshipers until early afternoon, when the image is replaced by another of Christ being laid to rest. At 4:30 P.M., Antigua becomes adorned with black crepe paper as thousands of people, burning incense and dressed in black, crowd the plazas and streets. A spectacular procession (procesione) is led by the man bearing the crucifix, with hundreds of followers (cucuruchos) carrying black banners and standards engraved with the final words of Christ and the pronouncements of God. Life-like images representing the archangels, the Stations of the Cross, the Cavalry, the apostles and many others are part of the silent procession through the streets, where multitudes pray quietly. The image of Christ is laid to rest in a church at 11:00 P.M. Holy Saturday continues with other funeral processions led by the Image of a sorrowful Virgin Mary (virgen dolorosa), followed by numerous women dressed in black who commemorate her moments of sorrow at the side of Christ. Easter Sunday is a time of rejoicing, with early processions through the streets of a festive Antigua celebrating the Resurrection of Christ. Firecrackers are heard throughout the city, and masses are held in all the churches. The week-long ceremonies end that day, and residents return to their daily lives. Carpets - Alfombras There are two type of carpets (alfombras) made during Semana Santa. The carpets along the processional route are made by residents along the route who invite friends and family to assist them. The carpets in the churches are made for the holy vigils (velaciones) and are made by the brotherhoods (hermandades). Velaciones are held in the churches that have religious activities during the holiday. These carpets are made by members of the brotherhood responsible for the sculpture. The carpets are made in front of the religious figure on display and are surrounded by fruits, vegetables and candles brought as offerings to the church the day before. The carpets along the processional route are made during the 24 hours prior to the procession. If more than one procession goes down a street a new carpet is made for each procession. Carpets express both religious as well as contemporary messages in the designs. Preparations for the carpets begin weeks, sometimes months, ahead. Sand or sawdust is generally used to level the cobblestone roadway. Sawdust is then collected and dyed in different colors. Favorite colors are purple, green, blue, red, yellow and black. Flowers such as bougainvillea, chrysanthemums, carnations, roses and other native plants and pine needles are also used. Carpets are started the day before the procession and the construction is timed so that the carpets are finished just before the carriers of the float arrive so that carpet looks its best. The carriers of the main float are the first ones allowed to walk over the carpet. They are followed the rest of the procession. Holy Vigils - Velaciónes There is a velacióne before each procession. The Holy Vigils generally take place at the church the day before that Church's procession. The vigils are organized by a brotherhood, and there are different brotherhoods for each sculpture that will appear in the processions. The sculpture is moved near the church altar in front of a huge decorative paper backdrop. A carpet is constructed in front of the sculpture. Around the carpet is a garden scene or huerto that includes fruit and vegetables, bread, candles, flowers and the native seed pod - the corozo. In the evening a funeral march band plays and outside the church a carnival atmosphere develops. Traditional foods and drinks and even games are available. Processions - Procesiones The religious processions are organized and carried out by the brotherhoods. The brotherhoods (los hermandades) were originally called cofradías and are religious organizations. The brotherhoods are either men or women, not both. It is thought that the carriers (cucuruchos) participated solely as a form of penance. Today there is some degree of social status involved but the principal motivation is still a show of devotion by the carriers. Each procession leaves from its church and follows a route through the streets of Antigua before returning to the church several hours later. Purple is the color of the robes worn by the carriers up to Good Friday, then the robes are black to signify mourning. Thousands of processional carriers participate in the processions. They are all members of the brotherhood that cares for the particular sculpture. Some have participated in processions all their lives. Processions generally begin with incense carriers and the brotherhood's banner, followed by the carriers and the float (anda). Carriers will carry the float for a block and then a new group will take their turn. Each turn is determined by the carriers' shoulder height to ensure that the float is balanced. This is very important as the floats can weigh as much as 7,000 pounds (3,150 kilograms.) A block behind the main float, the women carry a smaller float (size is relative here) with the figure of the Virgin Mary. The women wear white in their procession before Good Friday. Following behind is a funeral march band and two additional floats carrying the sculptures of San Juan and Maria Magdelena. Sculptures - Imágenes These are the religious sculptures that were made during the Spanish rule and can date back to the 17th century. The faithful believe that the sculptures, or the figure, will grant the believer their request. In some places in Guatemala, the sculptures are considered to be divine religious figures. The sculptures are referred to as the religious figure not as a just a sculpture. The sculptures also played a principal role in the conversion of the Maya to Catholicism as the Maya personified the sculptures with the stories of their own deities. To view our English-Spanish Glossary of terms used during Santa Semana, click here. For a description of the Holy Week Celebration in the highland city of Quetzaltenango, check out the following website: Casa Xelajú. Other great links include:
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