Colorful Street Carpets Alfombras decorate the city on the eve of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua. Meanwhile, the material for these incredibly beautiful carpets is sand and sawdust, found right on the cobblestone streets of Antigua.
Traditionally, the creation of carpets (Alfombras) begins on the last Sunday before Easter. The time, when the bumpy cobblestone streets of the old Guatemala city – covered in a layer of leveled sand, a nice plane base for the carpets. The inspiration for the creation of carpets – Mayan tradition, Christian religion and nature. For the work craftsmen use carefully-carved wooden stencils. Noteworthy, some of these stencils masters pass on from generation to generation. Also, new ones are created every year, so the design of the alfombras is always unique.

The sawdust goes through a screen, to keep any rough pieces from ruining the intricate patterns, and richly colored dyes are added. Once the colored sawdust is ready, people start creating their beautiful alfombras by spreading it over the layer of sand, adding various designs.

For many, Semana Santa is a week of spirituality and meditation, but for others, it is simply a time of rest. Easter in Guatemala has been a source of various religious manifestations, especially in the field of Catholic beliefs. In addition, it is the time for the various demonstrations that come from fine arts to the traditions that mark the identity. And, apart from the religious aspect, Easter is an important event not only to express different artistic expressions, but to generate economic unprecedented move.

Undoubtedly, Easter is an inspiration for artists, designers and ordinary people. All of them participate in these events, making literary gems dedicated to the image of Christ – pine sawdust carpets with a range of colors. By the way, the material for creating carpets, in addition to colored sawdust, are fruits, vegetables, etc. And of course, it takes hours of work, made by families, who stay up all night preparing them.

Colorful Street Carpets Alfombras

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