The Catholic church wanted to acknowledge the passion and death of the figure of Jesus Christ, as the stories in the Bible recount it. About 500 years later, the holiday is still going strong in Antigua, mixing elements of indigenous culture and religion into the processions. The imagery and meaning behind Semana Santa has evolved over time, just as Guatemala's history and culture have changed.
In Guatemala's history, Catholic religion and Spanish culture mixed with native or indigenous cultures and religions. It is not surprising that much of Semana Santa also uses indigenous symbols. At the same time, many of the country's indigenous people participate in the preparation of the shrines and the processions. Artists from all around the nation compete to have the honor to design or decorate the shrines that will be carried throughout the procession. The holiday is also an example of the evolution over time of the religious brotherhoods, styles of art and changing cultures in Guatemala.
When you look at one of the shrines in the procession, such as the famous "Jesús de Nazaret," you may feel emotions of sadness, suffering and grief. These feelings are meant to convey the meanings given in the biblical stories. But this kind of expression of art is also an example of the religious attitudes of Latin American hermandades and Guatemalan people. Since the Spanish arrived, the brotherhoods followed the stories of pain and mourning very closely. They wanted to be very devoted to the stories and commemorate the happy and sad parts of the story of Jesus.
