 | Antigua Guatemala Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 23 |  |
A pila is an open-air laundry, still used by many Mayans today.
This pila is on the grounds of the casa Popenoe. You can see the individual areas for washing.
Doing laundry at the pila is a communal affair where women gather to scrub, rinse and chat. Efforts to replace the pila with a more modern system have been met with some resistance as the ladies enjoy this chance to socialize! Leave a Comment
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Just across the street (2a Avenida Sur) from the Iglesia de Santa Clara on the east end of the plaza are a series of sinks used to do laundry. The Tanque de la Union was constructed in 1853 in a neo-classical style. Local women can still be seen in the early morning or late afternoon using the water from the fountain/concrete pond to do their laundry. It's a very interesting and unique experience. It is not uncommon to see similar facilities in the plazas of small towns surrounding Antigua. Leave a Comment
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The beginning of Semana Santa.
- The day commemorates the spreading of palms and clothing in Jesus' path as He entered Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion -
(www3.kumc.edu) Leave a Comment
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No where near as elaborate or as touristy as the Semana Santa celebrations, the Corpus Christi celebration on the second weekend in June is an interesting view into local Antigueno life without the hassles of large crowds and inflated lodging rates. There's a parade with fireworks outside the Catedral de Santiago on the Parque Central on Friday night. On Sunday following mass at the Iglesia de la Nuestra Senora de la Merced, there's a procession marked by fireworks, music, blessings, and a procession around the northwest neighborhood of Antigua that follows ornamental carpets made from dried leaves and pine needles. These tapete are not nearly as elaborate or colorful as the alfrombra seen during Semana Santa but they are wonderful to see nonetheless. We were lucky enough to see these in Antigua and in Solola the weekend before. Leave a Comment
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Santa Semana or Holy Week in English is the biggest holiday in Gatemala and the city with the biggest celebration is Antigua. It mixes both Christian easter traditions with early Mayan sacrifices to the corn god. During this week, especially the last part Antiug is jammed and hotels are hard to find. However it one of the most unique and special celebrations and defintely is a must see. Leave a Comment
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Prior to the Processions the streets and churches are decorated with colorful patterns of coloered sawdust, palm leaves and flowers. In the churches these are then lined with fruit and vegatable offerings. Leave a Comment
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Constructed to be earthquake proof, it survived the great earthquake of Santa Marta six years later. The monastery, on the other hand, was completely ruin, in spite of its solid walls. In the 1800’s, its rubble was utilized to build the church in San Felipe de Jesus.
The beautiful altars that decorated the temple of La Merced before 1773, as well as the organ, are found today at La Merced Church of Guatemala City. Leave a Comment
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Nuestra Señora de la Merced patron saint of the city, was worshipped here and turned La Merced into a very popular church. It was also the most important provincial center of the Mercedarians. The monastery, housing up to one hundred monks, possessed a remarkable library, in addition to all the necessary rooms and facilities of a large monastery Leave a Comment
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One of the most beautiful and representative things of Antigua Guatemala, is the Church and Monastery of La Merced.
The Mercedarian Order was founded in America in 1538, at an early stage of the Spanish colonization. Their monastery in Ciudad Vieja was simply built, most likely from straw and adobe.
The construction of La Merced Church in the new capital began in the mid 1500’s Due to the earthquake of 1565 and 1689, the Mercedarians had to continually rebuild, modify, amplify, repair their church monastery. Leave a Comment
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The beautiful fountain in its cloister was the largest at that time.
The earthquakes if 1717 extensively damaged both the monastery and church; the latter was slowly rebuilt and was finally inaugurated in 1767. This imposing building, with three large naves, a majestic cupola, and elaborate baroque decorations on the outside, is what we still see today. Leave a Comment
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