This is a museum dedicated to the indigenous dress of the Mayan people of Guatemala. It shows the history of weaving textiles and how the tradition dates back hundreds of years. Although times have changed, the art of backstrap loom weaving has survived and is prevalent in the Guatemalan culture today. It is important to the Maya heritage and to each individual’s social and ethnic identity. The woman standing at the top of the steps in this video is JoAnn Paulsen, founder of www.guatemalanhuipils.com.
Cultures
Guatemalan Women Celebrating Holy Week, or ‘Semana Santa’
These women are celebrating ‘Semana Santa,’ or Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala. Semana Santa is a Catholic celebration of the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event. These women are dressed in traditional Mayan clothing called ‘traje.’ They are wearing ceremonial huipils (blouses) and they have ‘tzutes’ folded up on their heads.