Alex & Mel in Guatemala: Semana Santa -- Holy Week

Guatemala, specifically in Antigua only 20 minutes from the Oasis and where I live, is famous for its spectacular and elaborate religious festivities during Easter Week (Holy Week - Semana Santa). During Holy Week, Antigua Guatemala hosts the most beautiful religious celebration in the Americas, when huge processions wind through the streets. The celebration begins on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and reaches its climax on Good Friday, when the streets are filled with processions and activity. The processions consist of big floats, or "andas", bearing statues of Christ with a cross, that are carried by hundreds of purple-robed men.

A float with the Virgin Mary follows by women dressed in black. The processions moves slowly through the cobblestone streets over the sawdust carpets, which are destroyed as the procession passes. National and international visitors crowd streets not just to see the processions, but also to participate in the detailed elaboration of these colorful carpets (Alfombras), to adorn the processional route. Semana Santa is the largest National Holiday in Guatemala and full of rich customs and traditions to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.