Honoring Christ Through Alfombras

Upper School Spanish students worked hard to create beautiful, model alfombras (carpets) in honor of Holy Week (Palm Sunday–Easter Sunday).

Every year during Holy Week, families and neighbors across Antigua, Guatemala spend hours meticulously pouring dyed sawdust, flower petals, and more into intricate alfombras that then stretch across the city to honor Jesus and His sacrifice.

Traditional alfombras—made from natural materials—are meant to represent the palm branches, rugs, and robes that were laid at Jesus' feet during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Large, hand-carved wooden floats depicting images of Jesus on the cross, the tomb, Mary, and other scenes from Holy Week are then paraded throughout the city that are so massive in size that they require dozens of people to carry them at once.

The colorful alfombras are walked across throughout the parade, therefore being destroyed in the celebration since they are made of such temporary materials.

The reason for all this? A man from Antigua summarized it perfectly when he said, "We spend hours making these alfombras knowing that they will be ruined, because, just as this life is temporary, we should put our full effort to make the temporary things beautiful for God."

Click below to see traditional alfombras!