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San Juan La Laguna
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
San Juan La Laguna
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
San Juan La Laguna
One of the great traditions that attracts a lot to tourism in San Juan La Laguna, are the dates of Holy Week and we leave it embodied in the following way:
On this day, the entry of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem is commemorated with the palm procession of the crowds who acclaim him as the Son of God. For this purpose, the palm leaf is used by the faithful as the inauguration of Holy Week, and is presented to the people during the religious ceremony after being blessed.
This day is used to wash the curtains, bandages, and other ornaments used for the crucifixion ceremony. Various activities take place, such as the making of the floats, which are made by the Santo Domingo brotherhood. People also prepare the materials for making the carpets for Friday.
Day on which members of the brotherhoods travel to the coast to bring back fruit that will be used for the Holy Week Monument. It is also a day used to make preparations for the following days.
A day on which a Chrism Mass and the blessing of Holy Oils are held. Also on this day, people adorn every corner of the main streets with chests. The chests are decorated with fruit and flowers, which give the town a beautiful and fragrant view. These are then removed from the streets until Easter Sunday. Through a procession, fruit is brought to two different locations: first to the San Juan municipality and then to the Santo Domingo brotherhood. Participants include the different brotherhoods of the town, prominent people from the town, and religious and municipal authorities. This event is known as the "Traída de Frutas" (Fruit Bringing). The fruit collected at the municipality and the brotherhood is placed in several baskets, carried by women, and taken to the Catholic Church in a procession. At night, the children's Stations of the Cross procession takes place.
Day in which the faithful commemorate in the Catholic Church during the celebration of Holy Mass, the Last Supper for the institution of the Eucharist and the washing of the feet performed by Jesus for his apostles, So during Holy Mass a small act is performed. There is a procession of the Way of the Cross in the main streets and the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is performed in the Catholic Church.
A day when the entire town is filled with activities, both in the streets and at the Catholic Church, attended by the faithful. Beginning in the morning with a Stations of the Cross procession, at noon the crucifixion takes place in the church, followed by the celebration of the Seven Words, the celebration of the Lord's Passion, and the act of descent. Meanwhile, from noon onward, the main streets are blocked off, as people get to work making carpets from sawdust. All the main streets are adorned with carpets of different styles, shapes, and colors. People dedicate themselves with their art and techniques to create an incredible work of beautifying the streets. At 9:00 p.m., the procession of the Holy Burial of Jesus begins, making its way through the main streets adorned with carpets.
This day is used by the group Mothers of Family of the Church to wash bandages on the beach. Likewise, another group is in charge of the preparation of the great Easter Vigil which is carried out on the night of this day and finally a procession of the Virgen de la Soledad is carried out by the faithful.
Likewise this day many people use it for a harmonious family rest, there are those who go to the shores of Lake Atitlán and others to other tourist destinations.
On this day the Resurrection of Jesus is celebrated through a procession of the Risen Jesus and another procession of the Virgin Mary, where an act of encounter between these two characters takes place. It is also on this day that the coffers are removed from the main streets and the fruits that hang on them are distributed among the people.
Narrated by: Manuel Federico Ujpán y José Yojcom
