Corpus Christi

“Bang. Bang. Bang” Those are probably gunshots.

But “BangBangBangBangBangBangEtc.” is definitely the sound of a long string of fireworks being set off.

Thankfully it was that latter sound that had me leaping from my bed this morning. As I stepped out onto the balcony of my apartment, I saw my neighbor’s houses decked out in yellow & white balloons and ribbons. I also saw that the street was adorned with long alfombras, decorative carpets composed of fruits, flowers, and colored sawdust.

As the smoky aroma of incense and burnt firecrackers floated up to me, I made a quick decision. I rushed back inside, swapped my shorts for pants, grabbed my camera, and hit the sidewalk.

Thankfully I was just in time to catch the “Solemne Procesión del Corpus Christi”... The Solemn Procession of The Body of Christ, a Catholic celebration of the Eucharist.

The priest of the local parish, la Parroquia de San Pablo, was the heart of the celebration carrying el Santísimo: the cross which contains the consecrated host (the “Body of Christ”).

The procession ambled through the neighborhoods surrounding the parish, passing over the gorgeous hand-made alfombras, and occasionally stopping at the very ornate altars that some families had set up in front of their homes.

The procession finally ended up back at the church, to celebrate Mass.

The folks I had met along the way, invited me in... but I respectfully declined. By that point I was tired, sunburned, out of photos, and really wishing that I had taken the time to brush my teeth before running out of the apartment earlier that morning.

Update: the rest of the Corpus Christi photographs are now online!

Tags: Guatemala, Corpus, Christi, Procession, Catholic