Semana Santa

One of my favorite things about living in Guatemala was celebrating Semana Santa, or "Holy Week". Every year my parents would take us to Antigua, a gorgeous little town tucked away behind 3 volcanoes in the central highlands of the country. Since Guatemala is a predominantly Catholic country, most people take the holidays very seriously and Semana Santa is by far the most celebrated in Antigua. All week locals spend the day sprinkling tapestries of flower petals on the street, creating rich, colorful blankets with patterns designed from scratch. Upon these floral carpets pass processions of men and women with martyred expressions whose sole purpose is to carry a series of immensely heavy floats on their shoulders that showcase the stations of the cross. The fresh aroma of pine needles and floral petals is often interrupted by waves of burning incense that cloud the cobblestone streets for the majority of the week. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience that I suggest everyone should see at some point in time.

Here in the UAE there is obviously a shortage of Reese's peanut butter eggs and every other magical taste that accompanies the holiday, but we do have something to celebrate. March 20 is Mawlid, also know as the Prophet's birthday, which is by default a national holiday. I'm not sure what the locals here to do prepare but I will be sure to report if its anything spectacular.

I'm including a video I found on youtube of the weekly festivities in Antigua. It does a great job of capturing just about everything from the flower beds to the music and the slow and steady swaying of the floats.