Semana Santa in Santiago

Buenas tardes

Those of you who have done any travelling or studying of Latin cultures will know that Semana Santa ( Holy Week) is a particularly important time in the year; in fact akin to the importance of Christmas in northern and western cultures. Akin in terms of the religious, family and recreational elements of culture.

When I built my plans for three months in the Atitlan area I ensured I would be able to be in Santiago for this week. And I was rewarded with a wealth of sights, smells, sounds and insights into the modern day Mayan culture which I will treasure as I think about Guatemala.

With my friends Brenda and Jo, we constructed the following summary of the week. Enjoy it and the pictures to the right!

here are the notes we wrote up the other day on Semana Santa. When we visited Suzanne, she was one of the Gringos who went into the circle at the church while they were lighting candles. She is part of a cofrodia, a Teshal or guardian, not sure which cofrodia. She says the singing and music is called the Passion of Christ. She said not all the cofrodia's were getting along, they fight a lot, and that is why some were set up at the other end of the church. this went on until 1 am, and she said no one really knows why they do this anymore. It may be around the apostles the night before Christ died. they also pray for corn and rain. She also mentioned that when Mary was dancing during the night the dagger was facing down, but when they walked her back to the church the dagger was facing up


Monday
People walk from the Pacific coast (about 8o km over a range of coastal mountains) to bring the fruits and flowers into the pueblo (town of Santiago). They arrived about 11 am at the Municipal building. After the presentation, the flowers and fruit were taken to different cofradias (homes where the saints are housed during the year. This opportunity to host one of the saints is a priviledge that is shared around the community on an annual basis). Those responsible for Maximón also preparing him and his clothing for his parade. Maximon is a figure who emerged as Catholism arrived in Guatemala in the 1500s. There stories are diverse and all include an understanding that he is a combination of both Mayan and Christian diety. Some suggest he represents Judas, others that he is some combination of Christ and the Sun God. As well on Monday those saints still in the catholic church were dressed in new shirts (oversized sports shirts) or other garments

Tuesday
The preparations continue.

Wednesday
More fruit and flowers are walked up from the Coast. At 11 am Maximón arrived at the Municipal building ( which is located adjacent to Parque Central). He had 10 – 11 scarves tied around this neck. About 2 pm he was paraded to blue building beside the Catholic church, where they hung him about 3 feet up on a cross.

People also began to clear and clean the roads, set up the huge archways made of two upright an one cross pole and covered with cyprus, cedar and moss. This archway mark the circular route the procession will take as the casket containing the statue of Christ is moved through the pueblo beginning late Friday evening. The decorating of the Catholic church had also begun.

Thursday

The cross members of the archways were lowered and decorated with fruit, small Christmas lights flowers and seed pods from the conrosa. There were a number of ceromonies in the Catholic church including the washing of feet of 13 young men and boys (representing the disciples). They paraded out of the church into the courtyard. Christ’s casket was brought out and put near the back of the church. A band starting playing music, mostly brass instruments and drum that playing late into the night. At about 6 pm, the members of the cofradias arrived for the lighting of the candles. They kept lighting more candles, praying, and sitting in a big circle with smoke and incense. We speculated this might symbolize the the apostles on the night before Jesus died. The confridias were also praying for rain and corn which is an essential element of the Mayan diet. This part of Guatemala has not had rain in at least four months (this is normal) This lighting of candles and pray went on until about 1 am.

Friday
Early in the morning 1 am to 6 am they have a dance in front on the municipal building. They run back and forth with Mary and Santiago. We understand that Santiago (Saint James) is meant to be consoling and distracting Mary. When she leaves the chuch she has a dagger in her chest facing down, but when they walked her back to the church the dagger was facing up. The meaning of this is unknown to use.

At 8 am they brought the statue of Christ church. The parade stopped for prays at the concrete cross in the church plaza, again before they entered the church and again once they got into the church. As soon as Christ entered the church, groups of volunteers begain making the carpets on the streets (albombras). These creations made of dyed sawdust and sometimes flowers, corn, pine needles and flowers take all day and night to make. They laid out a huge ross at the front of the church and then secured the statue of Christ to it.. They cleaned and dressed the statue sprayed him with deoderant. Spraying started in 1930’s and the understanding of why as been lost. A number of people, mostly elderly, walked on their needs up the lenght of the cross and kissed the face, arms and knees of the Christ figure. Money was left in an offering plate.

Between 12 – 3 there is a church service which began with the raising of the cross. After the service attended by 3+ thousand people ( all the benches were removed from the church to allow more to attend), Christ is lowered from cross, the casket is brough forward and he is put in the casket. Again, they spray him lots with deodarant.

The procession then begins. The casket is carried out of the church, some say 31 steps forward, 30 steps back. It took from 4 – 6 pm to move out of the church, down the steps and across the plaza ( it would take about 3 minutes to walk this). Statues of Mary and Santiago follow behind. Maximón also follows along for a short time. The procession then makes its way to the Municipal building and then follows in the circle created by the archways over the alfombras returning to the church about 8 am Saturday morning. At some point during the procession Mary and Santiago leave and go to Santiago’s home. They dance all night with the men and each other, trying to help Mary get over her sadness of her son dying.

Saturday
The chuch returned to normal, the streets were cleaned. Saturday evening there was lots of music to be heard around town until the wee hours of the morning.

Really interested? Consider reading a book recommended by a university prof. we met from North Carolina Rituals of Sacrifice by Vincent Stanzion, University of New Mexico Press Albuguergue 2003 ISBN 0-8263-2917-9 (paperback) or 0-8263-2916-0 (cloth)

For those not of the Catholic religion, the week is a time of family gathering, lots of food, fun and time to relax.

Posted to the right are a few of the hundreds of photos I took during the week. It was a truly amazing experience for someone who is not religious to stand in the church with thousands of others watching the ceremonies.

Adios, Colina