Alfombras de Semana Santa en Antigua, Guatemala
The dyed sawdust carpets of Antigua's Holy Week.
Throughout Lent, and throughout Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua, Guatemala, the streets would be covered in elaborate alfombras, temporary carpets, made out of colored sawdust, fruits, vegetables, and a wide range of other materials. Some of these carpets were quickly thrown together, you could tell. But others took hours upon hours of work. You could tell. Some families would stay up all night preparing their own. You could tell. But, whatever these carpets were made of, however intricate they were or were not, the alfombras de Semana Santa were something to admire.
And there were many to admire.
Some of my favorites were my favorites because of their ornate patterns and delicate details.
Some of my favorites were my favorites because of something clever. Using plastic children’s toys to reenact Noah’s Arc. Little fluffy lambs made from flower buds. 3-d renderings made from wood and clay and paint of whatever religious whatnot you could think of.
Some of my favorites were my favorites because they were just pretty.
Of course, all of these Easter carpets were just temporary, eventually trampled on by a religious procession, wiped clear by the truck that followed.
Of course, they couldn’t wipe everything away. And so, the crevices of the cobblestone streets are still filled with random colors, days later. And so, whenever the wind blows, it blows specks of colorful sawdust remnants into my eyes.
Photos of the Alfombras de Semana Santa en Antigua, Guatemala:
Semana Santa is Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, and is celebrated with religious processions and these colorful sawdust carpets, alfombras, throughout the week before Easter and the last week of Lent. Learn more about Semana Santa and the process of making these carpets, that I learned while studying Spanish in Antigua at Sevilla Antigua Spanish School.
