Semana Santa (Easter) procession

19 April, 2019

Semana Santa main procession which is held on Good Friday, San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.


Leading the parade is this fellow with the drum and flute, a kind of "call to service". I also saw them doing this standing or sitting outside the church doors before the service at several churches. I'm not certain whether this is only during Semana Santa or year round.

The women in their traditional handwoven clothing. I cannot say enough how beautiful these textiles are. In a small pueblo like San Pedro, these are made locally and have local colors and patters specific to the pueblo and group.

The procession moves along in stages, when not in motion, the women lower their shawls, but when moving they cover their heads.

The attendants and bearers of the palos (the heavy wooden platforms upon which are scenes of Christ, the Vigin Mary, and the cross) wear special robes and hats.

Here you can see the float with the cross being lowered to pass under the arch of fruits. Since it is immensely heavy, this move must have been really difficult; even more so with the larger floats which followed.

Here is a video so that you can see just how ponderous the movement of these floats are. They can weigh as much as 2000 kg (4400 lbs) and so you can see how many people are required to carry them.

A close up view. They stand very close together to fit enough people under it to bear this much weight. (Imagine a pool table and multiply it by several times in size.)

After the procession passes by, children run to play in the colored sawdust that has been left behind once the alfombras (flower carpets) have been trampled.

At the very end of the parade, as the floats were entering the cathedral, everyone joined in a mass hymn.