Monday, April 21, 2014

Colourful Holy Week carpet made entirely of sawdust and flowers declared a World Record - at 6,600ft long!

 
They are the colourful carpets used to coat the streets of Guatemala's cities during their iconic Easter Holy Week processions.

And this year the strongly Catholic country has a new reason to celebrate - it has been recognised by Guinness World Records for producing the longest sawdust carpet in the world.

Using 5,000 volunteers to create it, as well as 54 tonnes of sawdust, the record-breaking carpet measure a whopping 6,600ft - more than 2,000ft longer than the previous record holder.

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Riot of colour: Locals walk alongside the world's longest sawdust carpet created in Guatemala CityRiot of colour: Locals walk alongside the world's longest sawdust carpet created in Guatemala City
Dedicated: Up to 5,000 volunteers helped to design the spectacular carpet of sawdust which ran the entire length of a streetDedicated: Up to 5,000 volunteers helped to design the spectacular carpet of sawdust which ran the entire length of a street
The spectacular work of art takes painstaking design a d planning, before devoted artists spend hours creating beautiful scenes out of sawdust dyed different colours.

And heartbreakingly, once the work is done and admired, it is completely destroyed by processions of penitents who walk straight down the carpet carrying effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary as part of their Holy Week celebrations.
The carpets of flowers and sawdust designs are an iconic part of Guatemala's Easter festival, when penitents dressed in hoods take to the streets to walk for miles carrying heavy statues representing different stages of the Passion.

The longest Easter carpet  in the world may have been designed in the capital Guatemala City, but it is the nearby colonial town of Antigua that is the most famous destination in Latin America to experience Holy Week.

World Record: The beautiful carpet was measured at 6,600ft long
World Record: The beautiful carpet was measured at 6,600ft long
World Record: The beautiful carpet was measured at 6,600ft long and 54 tonnes of dyed sawdust were used to create it
Streets ahead: The previous World Record for an Easter sawdust carpet was just 4,593ft, more than 2,000ft shorter than the new record holderStreets ahead: The previous World Record for an Easter sawdust carpet was just 4,593ft, more than 2,000ft shorter than the new record holder
Work of art: Volunteers spend hours each year designing spectacular religious scenes using just coloured sawdust, the designs last only fleetingly until a religious procession passes through and walks through the sawdustWork of art: Volunteers spend hours each year designing spectacular religious scenes using just coloured sawdust, the designs last only fleetingly until a religious procession passes through and walks through the sawdust
Lost in a moment: After the carpets are created and photographed, religious processions are allowed to pass through the streets and the designs are destroyedLost in a moment: After the carpets are created and photographed, religious processions are allowed to pass through the streets and the designs are destroyed
With colourful buildings and cobbled streets, the pretty town is overlooked by volcanoes and was the former capital of Guatemala.

Now it is the country's most famous tourist site, with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking to the town from all over the world each year - experiencing the drama of the Holy Week processions is considered the ultimate highlight.

Tourists stand and watch as volunteers lay planks of wood over the street to they don't disturb the sawdust design they are creating, then stay to watch the processions pass through the freshly decorated street - destroying the painstaking artwork.

Winner: Guinness World Record's official Evelyn Arreaga measures a the carpet of flowers and colored sawdust to declare it a new recordWinner: Guinness World Record's official Evelyn Arreaga measures a the carpet of flowers and colored sawdust to declare it a new record
Long-standing traditions: Penitents struggles under the heavy weight of life-size statues of Christ adorned with gold as they make their way through the streets in the Guatemalan town of AntiguaLong-standing traditions: Penitents struggles under the heavy weight of life-size statues of Christ adorned with gold as they make their way through the streets in the Guatemalan town of Antigua

The traditional Easter processions are common throughout the Catholic world, with Spain also staging its own spectacular celebrations.

While Antigua is known as the place to witness the most spectacular processions in Latin America, Seville, in Andalucia, is the most famous Spanish city for Easter parades.

Penitents wear gowns and conical hoods - a tradition that was meant to maintain their anonymity – for the haunting processions as they carry life-size effigies of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through city streets accompanied by dramatic drum beats and mournful music.

Age is no barrier: Young penitents carry a wooden cross during a procession by Saint Francis church as part of Holy Week celebrations in AntiguaAge is no barrier: Young penitents carry a wooden cross during a procession by Saint Francis church as part of Holy Week celebrations in Antigua
Eerie sight: The burning of incense is another important part of the processions, sometimes used so liberally it can be difficult to seeEerie sight: The burning of incense is another important part of the processions, sometimes used so liberally it can be difficult to see

Tourists line the streets as scheduled processions weave their way through the towns and cities from early morning until late at night.

Each cofradia (brotherhood) is represented with different coloured robes and the masks were historically to provide anonymity for those looking to pay penance.

Despite soaring temperatures, the faithful struggle under their heavy costumes, swaying as they carry huge floats between them and sometimes even walking barefoot.


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