Palm Sunday in Antigua: the making of the Palms

Palm Sunday celebrates the day when Jesus entered into Jerusalem and in Guatemala it's a colorful celebration to begin the Semana Santa. 

The palm leaves (palma real or manaca) are collected in Escuintla, Suchitepequez, and Quetzaltenango and delivered to the vendors, generally women from San Juan Sacatepequez.
These industrious women make the arrangements bunches-like adding some purple estaticias (Limonium sp.), red carnations, corozo (Corozo oleifera)flowers, and some other elements.

During the night of the previous Saturday or very early that Sunday, these women arrive to the churches with their precious cargo and before they start selling the bunches, these are blessed by a priest.

 making Palms