Cuaresma (Lent) in Antigua

Boy in Procesion de Jesus Nazareno del Desamparo

Antigua is world famous for its celebrations during Lent and Semana Santa (the Holy Week). I was fortunate to catch a few processions during my time there with my daughter Lorca and with Barbara Kosta since both visits fell during Cuaresma (Lent) which constitutes the 40 days before Easter.

Workers feverishly trying to finish
whitewashing San Jose Cathedral in time for Semana Santa

Barbara and I were in Antigua on Thursday and Friday, April 2nd and 3rd. On Thursday we went to San Jose Cathedral at the Parque Central. Inside the church, we were awed by the special Easter arrangements and decorations. There were andas (wooden platforms with saints on the top) ready to be carried in processions. There was also an elaborately decorated alfombra (carpet) on the church floor which was made of painstakingly handstrewn brightly colored sawdust (with the aid of stencils). Around the alfombra were carefully arranged fruits and vegetables as offerings, a tradition stemming from Mayan culture. The fascinating aspect of Catholic religion in Guatemala is that it has embraced Mayan religious beliefs and traditions. This is palpable in Easter celebrations as well as church architecture. Much to Barbara's and my disbelief, the alfombra as well as the elaborate display were gone the next day. The ephemerality of the holy week artwork so carefully and beautifully executed reminded me very much of the Tibetan mandalas.

Alfrombra being created in front of the San Jose Cathedral by a tourism class

An anda inside the San Jose Cathedral

Part of the alfombra inside the church

Youth measuring the height of potential carriers for processions

The next day, Viernes de Dolores, we watched and followed the Procession de Jesus Nazareno del Desamparo at 3:00 in the afternoon throughout the city. It was an amazing unforgettable experience. Spearheading the procession was an anda carried by boys who could not have been older than six. The boys were dressed in the traditional purple robes and they trudged with their burden through the streets. Toward the end of procession (two hours later) their parents accompanied them. I overheard one mother say to her son, "Not much longer."

Children carriers during the Friday procession

During the Friday Procession

Boy swinging a vessel of burning incense in front of the Anda

Following the young people was an anda carried by teenaged boys. This anda was very heavy as one could note by the size and the expression of the boys hoisting it. Apparently andas can weigh as much as over a ton. The carriers stomped on the alfombras illustriously displayed on the street, destroying them totally. The anda was trailed by a band of brass and flute players as well as drummers. The music reminded one of funerals, very slow, mournful, and dignified. We thought the conductor of the band looked like a gypsy due to the type of hat he wore.

Bandleader

Teenaged boys carrying an anda and about to trample an alfombra

Boys carrying the Anda

During the procession, people gathered on the sidewalks to watch. Girls were dressed in virginal white dresses donning a postcard of a religion icon which signifies their parents contribution to a cofradia, a religious order. Some girls joined their brothers to show their solidarity.

Child watching on the sidelines

Sister keeping brother company

After the procession, Barbara and proceeded to the La Merced, no doubt one of the most spectacular churches in Antigua. Outside the church, there were throngs of vendors selling delicious delicacies as well as gorgeous bouquets of flowers and dried grains. Barbara was particularly struck by the aesthetically carved mangos on a stick.

La Merced

A woman selling Easter bouquets in front of La Merced

A woman selling mangos on a stick

Apart from the special events programmed for Semana Santa, we were struck by the spectacle of one of the surrounding volcanoes which rose above the city like an apparition. I was fortunate enough to capture its mystical appearance when we were walking on Santa Catalina, close to the arch. Antigua is no doubt one of Guatemala's jewels and being there during the Cuaresma made it even more special.

Barbara Kosta's Talk at UVG

Presentation: Using Film to Teach English Language and Culture

Guest Speaker: Dr. Barbara Kosta, Professor of German at the University of Arizona

Location: Aula Virtual, Universidad del Valle-Altiplano

Time: April 1, 16:00-17:00

Barbara Kosta, one of my oldest dearest friends (our friendship dates back to 1973, our junior year in Munich ), came to visit me in Guatemala. She gave a very stimulating well-received talk at the Universidad del Valle (UVG) about using film to teach English language and culture. She is actually a full professor of German at the University of Arizona but because her specialization is in German film studies, she was able to apply her knowledge and teaching experience to an EFL setting. In her presentation, she showed participating English teachers how they can enhance cultural awareness as well as motivate students to practice all four skills with the aid of a film, in this case, "Night at the Museum," a 2006 American adventure comedy based on a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. All teachers from UVG attended the talk as well as the well-known local author Richard Morgan Szybist of the Lake Atitlan Reference Guide and Fables and Other Mayan Tales of Atitlan. Richard has a special connection to the University of Arizona because that is where he completed his graduate studies in Latin American affairs in 1992.