Holy Week in La Antigua, Guatemala

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What is Holy Week in La Antigua?

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La Semana Santa in Antigua is a celebration that takes place all year round from Friday of Sorrows to Good Friday. Holy Week is one of the biggest and most awaited events in the country due to the large Catholic population located in the area.

The Holy Week season is one of the busiest and most crowded of the year, as thousands of people flock to the city of Antigua each year to see the acclaimed Colorful Carpets. These Alfombras are incredible pieces of art that are made with sawdust, flowers and fruits. In addition, they usually have folklore or religious figures and have a great variety of colors.

 

 

During the festivities, the streets of the city of Antigua are filled with people dressed in violet, these are called “Cucuruchos”. The Cucuruchos are those who carry on their shoulders the various religious images that stand out in the Holy Week procession in the city.

 

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When is Holy Week in La Antigua?

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The celebrations take place from Friday of Sorrows to Good Friday. Holy Week in the city of Antigua will take place approximately from March 26 to April 4.

 

 

History of Holy Week in La Antigua

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The hermandades de veneración de la pasión y la muerte de Cristo have been taking place since the Middle Ages, but during the 16th century they began to consolidate in the different regions of the American continent. In the case of Guatemala, the first procession with this motif was in the year 1543. The different images that can be seen in the celebration of Holy Week have been the result of centuries of religious exchanges of the different brotherhoods and Catholic movements.

The Carpets that are prepared for the celebrations of Holy Week keep reference in thebiblical passage in chapter 21, from verse 7 to 9, in which theentry of Jesus to Jerusalem is mentioned and branches were arranged for the entry of the same. Today the carpets have acquired tremendous importance in the festivities, which is why thousands of people come to thecity of Antigua to celebrate Holy Week.

 

Where is Holy Week in Antigua?

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The celebration of Holy Week takes place in thecity of Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala..

 

 

How is Holy Week celebrated in La Antigua?

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The celebrations of Holy Week in Antigua are carried out with religious processions every day until the end of the week. On the first day of the celebration theBrother Pedro’s Way of the Cross takes place, once finished each day of the week until Good Friday a large number of processions and events of a religious nature take place.

Some of the images that we can highlight of the whole event are: Jesús de la Caída, Jesús de Nazareno de la Dulce Mirada, Jesús de Nazareno El Dulce Rabí, Cristo de las Misericordias, Jesús de Nazareno de la Reseña, Jesús de Nazareno, Jesús Nazareno del Silencio, Jesús Nazareno del Milagro, Jesús Nazareno del Milagro, Jesús Nazareno de la Humildad, Jesús Nazareno del Perdón, Jesús Nazareno de la Merced, Señor Sepultado y Virgen de la Soledad and Señor Sepultado.

In addition, the Act of Crucifixion and the different Processions of the Palms take place.

 

Tips to go to Holy Week in La Antigua

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If you want to be part of the Holy Week celebrations in Antigua Guatemala, we recommend you to plan your trip in advance, make an itinerary of activities and book your accommodation in advance.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:.

 

Events during Holy Week in La Antigua

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Before the Friday of Sorrows, the processions of Jesus Nazareno El Dulce Rabí take place in the Church of Jocotenango from 11:00 am to 23:00 pm. Then the procession of Jesús Nazareno de La Dulce Mirada at the Church of Santa Ana from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. Finally, the procession of Jesus of the Fall takes place at the Church of San Bartolomé Becerra from 06:30 am until 02:00 am.

 

Friday of Sorrows

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The Via Crucis of Brother Pedro takes place at the Temple of San Francisco el Grande from 3:00 am until 6:00 am.

 

Palm Sunday

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The Procession of Palms is performed touching the points Church of La Merced. Next, it reaches the Church of Santa Ana, then the Church of the School of Christ and finally, the Church of San Felipe de Jesus from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm.

 

Holy Monday

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The wake is held and then, the procession of Jesus Nazarene in the Church of Saint Agnes of Mount Pulciano..

 

Holy Tuesday

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The Procession of Jesus Nazareno del Silencio is celebrated at the Ermita del Santo Calvario from 4:00 pm until 11:00 pm. Likewise, the procession of Jesús Nazareno de la Esperanza is held at the Ermita de Santa Lucia from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

 

 

Good Wednesday

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The procession of Jesus Nazareno del Milagro takes place in the Church of San Felipe de Jesus and then, the procession of Jesus Nazareno in the Church of San Mateo Milpas Altas.

 

Good Thursday

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On this day the procession of Jesús Nazareno de la Humildad takes place in the Church of San Cristóbal el Bajo and then the procession of Jesús Nazareno del Perdón takes place in the Templo de San Francisco el Grande.

 

Good Friday

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This day is the one with the largest number of events. First, the procession ofJesús Nazareno de la Merced in the Iglesia La Merced, then takes place the Act of Crucifixion in the Parroquia San José Catedral and the Escuela de Cristo to then celebrate the procession of Señor Sepultado and Virgen de Soledad in the Parroquia de San José Catedral. Finally, the procession of Señor Sepultado is held at the Church of San Felipe de Jesús and Church of the School of Christ..

 

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Easter parades in La Antigua

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Processions occur every day, taking place in different templos and religious images.

 

Parade route

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Processions are carried out from the different religious temples in the city of Antigua de Guatemala and surrounding areas.

 

 

What to eat during Holy Week in La Antigua

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Because during Holy Week no meat can be consumed, we give you some traditional alternatives that Guatemalans consume during these days. Mole de plátano or plátanos en moles, this dish consists of plantains in a thick sauce of spices, chocolate and sesame seeds. In addition, you can eat corbatas en miel at some of the stalls near the processions. It is a dough of flour, fry in oil and pour some honey on top.

Although some food places are closed during the festivities, we offer you some restaurants to visit before or after the religious celebrations: El Refectorio, Restaurante Las Antorchas and Los Tres Tiempos.

 

 

Travel Insurance

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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do during Holy Week in La Antigua

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During Holy Week you can attend both the different religious processions with the images, as well as the ceremonies and various activities that take place in the temples.

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside of Holy Week in Antigua

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Some of the tourist attractions you can visit during Holy Week are:

 

Acatenango

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It is a stratovolcano comprising two large peaks, Pico Mayor and Yepocapa. Each comprising more than 3,000 meters above sea level. The area also has a cocoa production of great importance to the region.

 

ChocoMuseo

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It is an establishment that mainly offers guided tours of the facilities, explaining the history and production process of chocolate. However, it also has chocolate workshops and guides through the cocoa plantations.

 

Pacaya

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It is an active volcanic complex and the first in the region to erupt more than 23,000 years ago. The last eruption was in 2017, which is still active.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend you to book the entrance in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Safety during Holy Week in Antigua

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The city of Antigua is relatively safe. However, we advise you to keep your items secure and remain aware of your surroundings every time you go out. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:

 

 

Weather during Holy Week in La Antigua

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During the Holy Week celebration the weather is pleasant, with temperatures hovering between 13 and 26 degrees Celsius.

 

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How to get to Semana Santa in La Antigua

 

How to get there by plane

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The closest airport to Antigua City is the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. From here, you can reach the city via different means of transportation.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport you can take a bus of the Eje Central line to Sixth Avenue. From there, walk about 10 minutes to Don Bosco where you will take a bus of the Eje Sur line to El Trébol and from there to Antigua..

 

How to get there by car

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From the airport take the CA-1 and RN-10 until you reach Antigua. The drive is 1 hour.

 

Where to stay during Holy Week in La Antigua

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Booking.com

 

La Quinta Santa Lucia

2-star hotel 450 meters from the city center. Rooms have private bathrooms. Facilities offer wifi and airport transfers.

 

Selina Antigua

3-star hotel 550 meters from the city center. Continental breakfast is served every morning. The hotel has a swimming pool, restaurant, bar, airport transfers and free wifi.

 

Meson de Maria

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3-star hotel 250 meters from the city center. Rooms have cable TV, telephone and private bathroom. Continental breakfast is served every morning. The hotel has a restaurant, airport transfers, wifi and free parking.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

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