Mayan Traditions during Semana Santa

Holy Week in Guatemala

In some areas of Guatemala, one of the Mayan traditions is to display an effigy of Judas (also known as San Simón or Maximón) is during Cuaresma (Lent) and later dismember and burn it.

On the Mayan calendar, there are some days that are called "dead days". These are days that don't officialy exist, but adjust the calendar to make it more accurate. These were originally celebrated differently, but with the introduction of Semana Santa, the Mayans took this week as their dead day celebration.

In many smaller towns, Maximón, also known as San Simón or Rilaj Mam, is a big part of the celebration. He is considered to be the lord of the underworld and he comes into power on the day that Jesus (in this belief, Jesucristo is the god of the sky) is buried. For the days that Jesus is dead, Maximón sits in the church. Upon Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday, Maximón is taken to a new home where he will stay until the following year, leaving the world to Jesus once more.

During his stay, Rilaj Mam enjoys alcohol and partakes in fertility rites, where young men go to the coast to bring back fruit for the ceremonies. His clothes are carefully washed and dried, a process that takes nearly two days and by the time he is to be placed in the church, the statue is in his finery once again.

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