Guatemala Sawdust Carpets

Semana santa or easter s holy week in antigua guatemala 2010 sees some of the most elaborate sawdust carpets in the world made out of fruit flowers and more these carpets are incredibly.

Guatemala sawdust carpets.

Antigua guatemala dyes its sawdust and then uses it to make some of the coolest carpets you ll ever see. A sawdust carpet decorated with geometrical patterns and food is displayed during semana santa in la antigua guatemala id. The next step is to lay down a background color. As elaborate and individual as they are ephemeral alfombras are carpets that adorn the street routes of church processions during the season of lent.

Antigua guatemala carpets are generally made using molds with allegoric designs religious symbols biblical scenes geometric shapes and floral designs with entire families working together using sawdust pine needles fruit flowers sand and cut paper. We cut out various stencils by hand to make the designs in this case the smithsonian sunburst and our 50th anniversary logo make an appearance. The designs themselves use fine colored sawdust. These carpets range from the relatively simple to the very complex as seen in the photo below in antigua s la merced church.

The guinness world record for longest sawdust and floral carpet was set in 2014 in guatemala city the capital. Artists use wooden stencils to create the intricate designs. Sawdust carpet antigua guatemala carpets are created within churches during the time of the vigils which are held to honor the statues that will be used in procession. This years guatemala s easter festival is more of flowers and sawdust.

Other cities also have street carpets at easter. The process begins by gathering sawdust from local lumber yards which is then dyed with brightly colored aniline dyes from guatemala. Last march 2013 the longest sawdust carpet measured 4192 ft and 10 inches and was achieved by the municipality of guatemala.