With tunic and cucurucho of the same color, Catholic penitents travel through the streets of Guatemala with fervor and devotion, loading processions as an act of spiritual connection with Jesus Christ.
At the beat of the funeral marches and in an atmosphere of reflection and prayer, the chargers carry on their shoulders the representations of the life of Jesus and the Virgin during Lent, Holy Week and, especially, the Easter Triduum.
Considered guardians of tradition, The cucuruchos and the defects charger are prepared with fervor to travel emblematic places such as Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City, carrying processional walks that require more than 120 loaders per shift.
This commitment has allowed the faithful to exhibit in the streets the largest processional and procession: that of Christ Yacent of the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, in Calvary.
Holy Week is the most important liturgical moment of Catholicism. Its cultural wealth, represented in carpets, solemn marches, cucuruchos and processions, has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
When is Cucurucho Day celebrated?
On the day of the penitent charger or cucurucho it does not have a fixed date in the calendar, since it varies according to the liturgical calendar that determines the dates of Lent and Holy Week, but it is established that its celebration is given the following Wednesday to the day of the Cross of Ash, however, its celebration is established for Wednesday following the next Wednesday Ash Wednesday.
This year, the celebration will take place on March 12, in recognition of the loaders, who, with their devotion, have been a fundamental pillar in this religious tradition.
Erwin Noguera, a member of the Organizing Committee of Cucurucho, explains that this commemoration was born in 2020 as an initiative of Father Fernando Divassi, with the advice of Monsignor Marco Aurelio González, with the purpose of paying tribute to the devotees chargers.
Under the motto “For the Cucuruchos of yesterday, today and always”, this day seeks to exalt the faith and tradition that, generation after generation, have kept alive the religious fervor of the Guatemalan people.
The 2025 Cucurucho Day is more than a commemoration; It is an opportunity to reaffirm our identity as witnesses of faith and guardians of tradition, and to receive with humility and devotion the grace of the jubilee, the organizers stand out.
Why are they called Cucuruchos?
The term cucurucho has its origin in the clothing of the penitents, who wore a conical capirotes in the processional courtships as a symbol of penance and discipline. This tradition dates back to the end of the 19th and early twentieth century, when the devotees loaded this cone on their heads and covered their face.
With the arrival of the Spaniards, this dress was adopted by the faithful in Guatemala. However, during the government of Manuel Estrada Cabrera, it was modified for security reasons.
The change occurred in 1909, after Estrada Cabrera suffered two attacks. According to historical stories, when Lent was about to start, his mother requested that the Yacente Christ of Santo Domingo pass in front of his house, located on the La Palma estate, today zone 5 of Guatemala City.
For fear of another attack, the soldiers who escort the procession demanded that the chargers discover their faces, thus modify the use of the capirote.
Since then, the penitent cone ceased to be used, but the term cucurucho remained to refer to the devotees that carry the processions on their shoulders and wear purple robes, especially in Lent and Holy Week.
Special celebration for the year of Jubilee
Noguera explains that this year the celebration will have a special meaning, since it is part of the jubilee year proclaimed by Pope Francis, under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”.
More than a tribute, this commemoration will offer each devotee the opportunity to experience the mercy of God and live Lent with a renewed heart.
Therefore, a special mass will be held to celebrate the jubilee and ask for the health of Pope Francis, as well as for the future of the Catholic Church.
Celebration agenda
The celebration will be held in the Guatemala Metropolitan Cathedral on Wednesday, March 12, with the following program:
- 18 hours: pilgrimage from the atrium of the cathedral to cross the holy door, fulfilling one of the requirements to obtain plenary indulgence and responding to the call of the Pope Francis To be true pilgrims of hope.
- 18.10 hours: Holy Mass, in which attendees can receive the sacrament of confession and communion, completing the spiritual path to gain indulgence and live Lent with a renewed heart.
- 19 hours: great concert of funeral marches, played by the centennial martial band of the Army of Guatemala, as a tribute to faith and delivery of the Cucuruchos.