Semana Santa Processions

Along with the alfombras being made, there were several processions along different routes in Antigua. Different churches would sponsor these processions and each one consisted of several people either dressed in purple or in black or in white carrying different floats. I'm not sure what to call these things they carried. They all depicted different scenes of Holy Week, usually either of Jesus or of Mary. The men carried the ones with Jesus, while they women carried the ones with the virgin Mary on them. It was all accompanied by music, usually very solemn, with all sorts of tourists in the road taking pictures! There would be incense along with the processions. These processions would go very slowly along the routes, most of them lasting for several (like 8-10) hours. The people would pay a fee to their church in order to have a part in carrying, as part of their penance, I've heard. Very interesting. There would be a person at the front carrying a number and when you saw your number up there you knew it was your turn to go find your spot and take over for the person carrying.

There would usually be people that came to line the sides of the street before the procession came through, like below.

Here is an example of one such "float" depicting Jesus carrying His cross.

Here are the Roman soldiers lining the streets before this procession came.

Even small children would be dressed up in the same attire and be accompanying fathers, brothers, uncles, etc on the sides.

This one was HUGE. I think there were like over 100 marked spots for people to be carrying this one.

Doesn't this look fun?