There are dozens of elaborate processions between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday as part of the incredible week-long Semana Santa celebrations in Antigua, Guatemala. The Easter action comes to a head during reverent processions between Palm Sunday and Good Friday which tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion which is re-enacted ceremonially on Good Friday. Here are highlights from the Semana Santa processions between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Jesús Nazareno de la Merced on his way to the crucifixion during a Good Friday procession in Antigua, Guatemala.
Processions between Good Friday and Easter Sunday take on a much more solemn, somber tone as participants and observers mourn the crucified Jesus. People’s costumes change from purple to black. Processions slowly wander the streets with just a Virgin float–no Jesus float since he is now crucified. The images in this slides show were taken during various Semana Santa processions in Antigua, Guatemala between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Good Friday processions
The first procession on Good Friday departs La Merced church at 4 am. On Thursday afternoon we overheard a tour guide telling his group that it rains every year around 3 am on the morning of Good Friday. This year the raindrops started a little early, but the sky cleared by the time the processions began. The images in the collection, below, were taken during Good Friday processions in Antigua, Guatemala.
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The Good Friday procession from the Escuela de Cristo church in Antigua, Guatemala.
Check out more of the sights and sounds of the Good Friday processions in Antigua, Guatemala in our video, below.
Sábado de Gloria processions
Semana Santa processions on Saturday do not include floats with Jesus on top. He’s now crucified, so Saturday processions have floats bearing images of a mourning Virgin, all carried by women.
The images in the collection, below, were taken during Sábado de Gloria processions in Antigua, Guatemala.
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A float bearing the Virgen de Soledad leaving the Escuela de Cristo church.
The Virgen de Soledad atop a float carried by women in a Saturday procession from the Escuela de Cristo church in Antigua, Guatemala.
Check out more of the sights and sounds of the Saturday processions in Antigua, Guatemala in our video, below.
Easter Sunday processions
Easter Sunday processions mark the resurrection of Jesus and there’s a distinctly party-like atmosphere. Children wave yellow and white flags, people
Jesus rises during an Easter Sunday Semana Santa procession from San Pedro church in Antigua, Guatemala.
Jesus rises during an Easter Sunday Semana Santa procession from San Pedro church in Antigua, Guatemala.
Check out a party procession on Easter Sunday in our video, below.
Go deeper into this fascinating annual event in our complete series of posts about Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
Here’s more about travel in Guatemala
Another very interesting example of the holiday in the Americas. I’m in Quito at the moment, which hosts one of the bigger Good Friday processions in Latin America. It was an experience unlike any other.