Guatemala (#15): Alfombras (Part 1)

Easter Week in Guatemala is famous throughout the world. The religious fervor of the Guatemalans is pronounced in every region of the country. Most famous for this tradition is Antigua, where residents' elaborate colorful carpets of sawdust and flower petals are dutifully created during the day only to have their work trampled by huge processions of thousands of penitents and Roman centurions. The penitents carry huge biers with colonial effigies of Christ, the apostles and the Virgin Mary. These traditional processions date back hundreds of years and attract visitors and Catholic pilgrims from all over the world. And during the entire week, parishioners celebrate the passion of Christ in the various Catholic churches in Antigua and the rest of Guatemala.
Unless one has seen a carpet laid out on a street one has no idea as to the beauty and artistry involved. All manner of colored sawdust, flowers, grasses, pine needles, fruits and ornaments are used in the dozens of designs. Sometimes forms are used to control the layout ... most often freehand is employed. Templates from prior years are used to lay out the most elaborate designs because freehand just could not allow for such detailed accuracy. Finesse is understatement ... artistry is the only word that comes to mind. Most of these folks are gifted and talented.

Words cannot do justice in describing a sawdust carpet. A picture is worth a thousand words so our only option is to show you a sampling of some of the most elaborate, most colorful, most detailed, most complicated, and most celebrated carpets in this years' Semana Santa.
If the carpets are made with sawdust, how come they just don't blow away before the procession?

The answer is simple ... water! While the carpets are being laid out a member of the design group follows behind and sprays the sawdust with a garden hose or a garden sprayer. This not only bonds the sawdust together but enhances the colors. They keep watering the carpet until it is finished. This also compacts the sawdust. They keep moistening it throughout the day and night until procession time.

But ... there is a downside to this watering. It makes the sawdust slippery. The processional men and women walking on these carpets experience difficulty in maintaining footing. The slippery sawdust combined with the uneven cobblestones makes for some hairy processions. Slipping and sliding, many bier carriers lose their balance and nearly fall. Add carpet hazards such as loaves of bread, flower arrangements that may be as high as 12", figurines, 5-foot seedpods, and fruits such as watermelons, cantaloupes and pineapples and you can imagine the potential mayhem. The men typically wear loafers or athletic shoes but the women generally come in non-sensible shows, which makes them more prone to lose their balance. The children's floats are always at the rear of the procession. By the time they make their way onto the carpets, the carpets are matted down and are less slippery and hazardous. They have an easier and safer time.