With sawdust, flowers and an atmosphere of devotion and community, more than 3,000 people will participate again in the elaboration of the largest carpet in Guatemala City. In its 14th edition, this artistic manifestation will pay tribute to the processional courtship of Christ Yacente del Calvario, which every Good Friday runs through the streets of the Historic Center.
This event, which joins tradition, faith and ephemeral art, will take place on Friday, April 18. It is expected that neighbors, families and Guatemalan artists will work shoulder to shoulder in the preparation of this monumental carpet, which could exceed 3.5 kilometers long and 2 meters wide, consolidating itself as the largest in the country.
During a press conference, the Municipality of Guatemala – in coordination with the Archdiocese of Guatemala and the parish of Our Lord of Remedies, Calvary – reported that the elaboration will begin at 11 am on Good Friday. The tour will extend from the municipal headquarters to Elena Avenue and the 14th street of Zone 1.
The authorities stressed that the elaboration of the carpet will take place before 15 hours on Good Friday, Since the processional courtship will depart from the parish of Our Lord of Remedies, Calvary, located on 6 “A” Avenue 18-36, zone 1. Therefore, it is expected to complete the work in record time, as has been achieved in previous editions.
More than a decorative work, this 3.5 -kilometer long carpet represents the encounter of art with popular spirituality. Its creation seeks to strengthen community ties, dignify intangible heritage and transform urban landscape into a living road, faith and tradition.
Image of the dimension of the carpet of the city 2025, which exceeds 3.5 kilometers. (Free press photo: screenshot / muni guate)
During a press conference, Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez reported that, for this event, an inter -institutional table has been formed with the aim of guaranteeing the order, security and well -being of citizens and parishioners who participate with devotion in this tradition.
In his speech, the mayor highlighted the effort and enthusiasm of the capitalists, who, year after year, contribute to the creation of carpets, expressions of ephemeral art of Holy Week.
As we have traditionally said: this carpet is done with the hands of citizens and with the time dedicated by many people and families. It is an opportunity to live and share in community. This year we invite the population to join, to elaborate with their own hands, together with their family, a section of this carpet that gives life to Lent and Holy Week in the city, he said.
Preparations for Holy Week
During a press conference, the capital authorities announced the actions that will be carried out to guarantee order, cleaning and security during Lent and Holy Week. It is planned that, during this liturgical time, more than 5,300 carpets will be prepared, in which 70 processions scheduled in different parts of the city will parade.
Given the magnitude of these events, the Municipality of Guatemala estimates that more than 800 tons of waste will be collected, which will be removed by cleaning brigades arranged by the commune.
Trustee III, Alejandra Paíz, reported that, for several months, 25 brotherhoods, together with the municipality and other institutions, have worked on planning processional tours and cultural activities that will accompany this season.
According to the balance presented, more than 67 processional tours in the historic center have been evaluated, which represent a total of 248 linear kilometers between March and April. In these two months, 33 processional courtships will be developed in March and 34 in April, consolidating the city as an epicenter of ephemeral devotion and art.
Cultural agenda to live tradition
As part of the strengthening of cultural heritage, the Municipality of Guatemala has prepared a special agenda that will allow citizens to enjoy this holiday, with activities scheduled from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 of April, in the Plaza de la Constitución.
Among the main activities is the third edition of Expo Devotion, organized by the Mayor’s Office of District 1. As detailed by the trustee Alejandra Paíz, this year the exhibition will be held at the Museo de la Merced, where attendees can participate in workshops, appreciate exhibitions of relics of different brotherhoods, taste traditional gastronomy and make historical tours.
The exhibition will be open to the public on Friday 21 and Saturday, March 22, and will also include thematic concerts and conversations.
Among the confirmed conversations stand out:
- Los Santos in lands of Guatemala City, on March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the former Printing Sánchez
- Female participation in Lent and Holy Week, on March 28, in the Ibargüen house
Preparation of the city carpet in 2024, where families, neighbors and authorities prepared a 3 -kilometer carpet. (PHOTO FREE PRESS: PL hemeroteca)
Coordination and Security for Holy Week
The spokesman of the Municipality of Guatemala, Amílcar Montejo, informed that 850 agents of the Municipal Traffic Police (PMT) will be deployed throughout the season, without breaks or permits, to guarantee road safety and mobility in the metropolis. It is estimated that 1.7 million people will mobilize in the income and departures of the city during the Holy Days.
To facilitate the development of processions, special vehicle corridors will be enabled in the historic center. On Good Friday a temporary vehicular closure will be implemented after noon, due to the preparation of the monumental carpet and the realization of seven processional courtships, which will run from the Civic Center to the Avenue of the Cemetery.
In addition, the transmetro service and your bus will remain active, enabled or restricted according to the displacement of processions, Paíz reported.
Montejo also indicated that a special emergency protocol has been activated, which will operate from Friday prior to Palm Sunday and will be deactivated that day at 2 pm. The strategies will be concentrated in key points such as the sixth avenue, the eighth and the 14th street of zone 1.
Interinstitutional teams formed by the Red Cross, volunteer and municipal firefighters, the Municipal Police and the PMT will participate. In addition, there will be paramedic personnel, doctors and medicines, as well as operational links for immediate care in the event of any event.
Emetra actions to guarantee mobility
- Traffic Control Center: Real -time monitoring from Emetra, in coordination with the PMT, to regulate traffic and attend road emergencies
- Air supervision: use of drones to assess vehicular flow and detect congestion points
- Agents in Scooters: Implementation of the Scooters Plan for Agile Patrol in the Historic Center and areas with high pedestrian influx
- Inspection reinforcement: Control of compliance with traffic regulations, parking supervision, road closures and areas with vehicular restriction
How to participate?
For devotees, neighbors or tourists who wish to participate in the city’s carpet event, registrations are made through an online form available on the official Facebook page Festivals Muniguate and in the link http://gis.muniguate.com/processions/activities/alfombrabefore April 18.
With the registration, the Municipality will assign to each group the respective location where the ephemeral art can elaborate.