Semana Santa in Guatemala

These are called Alfombras. They are a very big deal in Guatemala. To mark the very holy and beautiful Semana Santa leading up to what we call Easter, the Guatemalan people clean and decorate the streets with things called Alfombras. These are pathways made of all organic materials such as pine needles, wood shavings, fruit, vegetables and flowers. The churches make these giant wood structures to carry their Jesus statues out of the church and carry them around the pueblos. Within seconds the alfombras are ruined. It's fantastic.










We were lucky enough to get to help build two such alfombras with friends we had made in Guatemala. I must say that in all my travels, this was a huge highlight for me in particular. I travel for culture, for people, for traditions. This one is a biggy in Latin America. The people of Itzapa, no matter how poor they were, got up in the dark, cleaned the streets in front of their houses and together with neighbors, decorated quite intricately these absolutely breathtaking alfombras. The oldest man on our street directed all of us how to do this one exactly the way his father had done it for years and years before.



These are what the processions look like...