Semana Santa in my Neighborhood

Yes, I am really going all the way back to April here! Semana Santa in Central America is a huge holiday. They don't just celebrate Easter, they celebrate the entire Holy Week. Pictures really cannot do the festivities justice by any means. It was truly amazing and a sight to be seen. I would encourage anyone to visit Guatemala during Easter at some point in their life! I was really happy to get to experience my first Semana Santa in Guatemala with my parents! Before they got here though (more on their trip later!) there was a small festivity in my neighborhood. For Semana Santa in Guatemala, people make these "alfombras" or carpets of sawdust on the streets. They use these stencils and make these beautiful carpets on the street. They are so bright and intricatly designed. Then they have what these processions where people carry these huge "float type things" that are so solid and heavy to represent different events from Holy Week. They walk over these alfombras and destroy them in a matter of seconds. We thought this first procession in our neighborhood was so amazing but then I was blown away when I spent two days in Antigua with the folks and saw the real deal! Here is a preview! And remember the pictures don't do anything justice! :)

The first alfombra we came across.

A close up of some of the details. Remember this is all sawdust!

Then began the procession with all the Catholic schoolgirls carrying these signs.

And nothing in Latin America is complete without some music! This music was very somber though.

An example of the floats that they carry. In Antigua some of the floats were carried by over 100 people, they were so big!

And so much for the beautiful alfombras. This is what happens in a matter of seconds! So sad!

And of course the nuns swinging the incense around!

Even the youngest ones can participate!

So cute, walking along with the nun and the Padre.

And what Latin American religious celebration is complete without someone there selling blow up Barney toys?