Spanish School Blog Guatemala Pg 19

In the Spanish language spoken in Guatemala (and in many Latin American countries), the augmentatives and diminutives are very important in everyday expression. It is very common to hear some of these in a conversation. These are suffixes that increase and decrease the meaning or size of a word or subject.

Delicious sweet-touch buns, typical of Lent in Antigua Guatemala. In many places, these Lenten Rolls are traditionally prepared on Good Friday. In Spanish these have different names, such as “Pan Dulce de Cuaresma (Easter Sweet Bread)”, “Bollo de Pascua (Easter Bun)”, “Easter Muffin” or the well known "Pan de La Cruz (Cross Cake)”. Although this semi-sweet bread is typical of Guatemala during Holy Week, it is also produced by many bakeries every weekend in Antigua Guatemala.

The Cucuruchos are Catholic people who wear a purple dress called "Túnica", who participate in processions that take place during Lent and Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala. A 'Cucurucho' can be a man or a woman, although the women 'cornet' are also called Devota Loader. The activity of the Cucuruchos stands out for carrying the processions, but also for listening to and accompanying the processional marches and performing contemplative prayers of gratitude, forgiveness and patience to God.

Jesus Nazareno de La Merced represents the image of the devotion of the Catholics of Antigua Guatemala. It is the most awaited procession during the Holy Week, each year makes the penitential tour every Holy Friday (Good Friday). Thousands of parishioners, from very early hours of the morning, come to observe the processional journey, this is adorned with the already well-known Holy Week carpets that are elaborated with a lot of dedication and hard work.

One of the many Catholic traditions related to the feast of Holy Week is the creation of "altars of veiling" or "Lenten altar". As an honor to the images of veneration that will make their processional journey through the streets of Antigua Guatemala, the Brotherhoods of the different Catholic and Parish Churches prepare Solemn Velaciones to the images of Jesus Nazareno; Jesus Buried; Virgen de Dolores and Virgen de Soledad, among others.

A recipe that is hundreds of years old, and part of the culinary tradition of Guatemala, a post-colonial heritage of Spanish cuisine. As time goes by, Guatemala has made its own, as part of its culinary tradition and with variations in its ingredients according to each family. This is a dessert that is now part of the menu of all typical food restaurant in Guatemala and is the favorite dessert during the Easter season.

Guatemala has many traditional dishes for the Easter Week season, ideal to enjoy with friends and family. “Curtido de Semana Santa” (Easter Week Curtido) is a very popular dish and well known dish of the Easter season in Guatemala and specially for the summer, for it is a very fresh dish. This delicious dish is very similar to Fiambre, but this does not include any meat.

During Holy Week, Guatemala has many traditional dishes for this season to enjoy with family and friends. El ‘Bacalao a La Vizcaína’ is perhaps the most traditional and popular dish of the Easter season in Guatemala. When the Lent season begins, you can easily find large quantities of dried cod (dehydrated) in salt at the supermarket.