Guatemalan Children and Teachers Celebrate Holy Week

In the United States, this week’s playground gossip was full of stories of the Easter bunny, chocolate-filled eggs and trips with family for spring break.

But in the villages and towns of Guatemala, students and teachers are now returning from their “Holy Week break” - reflecting on the many celebrations that occur in the week leading up to Good Friday.

On Lenten Fridays and during Holy Week, churches perform velaciones, or vigils, which are representative expositions of biblical passages.

While there is no big bunny hiding eggs, there are many rich traditions of Guatemalan culture and spiritual reflection that are an integral part of the Easter season. 

The public education system in Guatemala is secular, but many schools still participate in Catholic religious activities.

At some schools, GLXi-certified teachers and students create murals depicting bible passages. At others, students participate in the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, which is celebrated on Fridays during Lent. 

In these processions, children follow a member of the community who carries a large wooden platform with representative images of Jesus as they parade through the streets of the towns.

On Lenten Fridays and during Holy Week, churches perform velaciones, or vigils, which are representative expositions of biblical passages. Families from neighboring villages come to see the displays, which later go out to travel the paths of each village and town.

Each church has a brotherhood, a collective of men and women responsible for building the floats that will go out in procession, as well as the organization of the people who will carry them.

Depending on the representation, men will wear the "cucurucho" costume (purple, white, or black), and women will wear white or black accordingly.

The activity invites the participation of children, young people, and adults. Thus, there are different committees that teach the process and instruct on the rituals to be followed.

Each "velación" has its own participation process within the church, but each village organizes activities outside with music and food.

Many families gather weeks in advance to prepare alfombras, sawdust carpets of different colors and designs, to receive these religious processions that pass by their homes on Lenten Sundays and Holy Week days.

These carpets can also be made of pine, corozo, fruits, vegetables, bread, and decorations.

When Easter Sunday arrives, most families in this predominantly Catholic country celebrate by attending Mass at church or participating in processions like those held during Holy Week.

Customs Meet Religious Tradition

For children in the West, the bunny is one iconic figure associated with Easter. 

For children in Guatemala, one of the most important figures during Lent and Holy Week is the cucurucho - a person who participates in a procession wearing a specific costume, which is usually purple or black.

There are different styles of cucurucho, as each church has a committee called hermandad, and each of these brotherhoods has and represents a specific color, insignia, and tradition.

Guatemala is a country with many customs and traditions, which blend the religious-spiritual ideal with the culture of the indigenous people of the country. The process of celebrating Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - is a great example of how these two worlds collide.

“In Latin America, there is a term known as religious syncretism, which refers to the combination of Mayan traditions with the Catholic religion,” says Jaime Vielman, GLXi Executive Director – Guatemala. “In this sense, culture predominates beyond religion, as it becomes a social, family, and characteristic element of peoples' mysticism and beliefs.”

The days of Lent are so significant that it is customary to have activities on weekends and to have an official rest on the last week, known as Holy Week, so that people can participate in the rituals and activities that connect with religious beliefs, visit their places of origin, and see their families.

In the village of Dora Vidalia Pérez, a GLXi-certified teacher, it has been two years since they have formally celebrated Lent.

In her community, Lent is lived and felt from Carnival Tuesday, when they prepare by decorating eggshells and taking them as a snack, covering them with tissue paper and then breaking them on people's heads. On Ash Wednesday, they go to Mass and have a cross of ashes placed on their foreheads.

“Children are taught to see it as a moment to reflect on their beliefs and a good time to spend with family,” Pérez said. “There are activities such as the Stations of the Cross and processions, which are characterized by the smell of corozo and flowers, but above all the taste of Guatemalan cuisine: fish a la Vizcaina, white beans with dried fish, enchiladas, torrejas, buñuelos, and many more.”