Challenges--Experiencing Semana Santa in La Antigua, Guatemala
This will be a treat for all you vagabonds. Andi from My Beautiful Adventures traveled to La Antigua, Guatemala to conquer one of her travel goals. Here she is....
Lately I have been thinking a lot about travel goals that I have and have yet to accomplish. All of this thinking even inspired me to create a bucket list. One of the travel goals that I have had for
a while was to experience Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in Central America. Over
the years people have entertained me with countless stories about the processions
and parties that take place to honor the Easter holiday. I researched for quite some
time which city would be the best to attend Semana Santa in and after much careful
consideration I decided on La Antigua, Guatemala.
On the morning of, I awoke to thousands of people chanting Catholic hymns in the
streets and the smell of incense wafting through the air. Although I was jet lagged and
would have liked to sleep a couple of more hours, I was very excited to see what was
taking place. How I love parades; the smiling people, the infectious joy, the feeling of
connecting with a large group of people.
As I stepped foot outside our hotel’s primacies my breath was completely taken away
from me. I had heard how beautiful the city of La Antigua Guatemala or “the Old
Guatemala” is, but it is one of those things that you will never truly appreciate until
experienced firsthand. La Antigua is a historically significant, well-preserved, colonial
city dating from the 17th century. It was at one time the capitol of Guatemala; now it is
Guatemala City. It is set in a valley close to the Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango volcanoes
providing the most stunning views.
It is simple to comprehend why it has been given the honor of being named an UNESCO
World Heritage Site. You already feel like you are stepping foot into the past while being
in La Antigua, but the feeling is only deepened if you are there during Semana Santa.
The Holy Week is considered the week before Easter. The processions start on Holy
Thursday, but the largest ones are on Good Friday, and they end on Easter Sunday.
They are to commemorate the final days of Jesus’ life culminating in his crucifixion on
Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Procession, which in Latin means “to go forth” or “to advance,” is a religious parade. In
the La Antigua processions scenes from the Bible are acted out, specifically the 12 stages
of the cross. People from all over Guatemala participate and anyone, even gringos and
gringas, are allowed to join in the celebrations (that meant me!). As I wandered around
the city I could not stop smiling as everyone passed me by.
One of the most important parts of the processions are the extraordinary "carpets"
constructed out of various colored grass that are made by the devotees. As people walk
over them they are instantly destroyed and new ones must be created. A true act of
devotion.
Even though I am not a religious person, this experience was completely unforgettable
and I highly recommend not only visiting La Antigua, but visiting during Semana Santa.
When else will you have the opportunity to step back in time?
Andi Perullo is a Chinese Medicine Doctor by day, travel addict by night. When she
is not treating patients, she is exploring the world or dreaming of the next place to
visit. She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs at My Beautiful Adventures.
Comments