Friday we traveled over to Benque Viejo on the Guatemalan border to see their annual Easter sawdust carpets. Colored sawdust is used to create decorative images in the streets that will greet the religious procession on Good Friday as they make their way to the church.

The sawdust carpets are a very big part of the Benque Viejo community on Easter weekend. Each year faithful parishioners gather on the streets adjacent to their own town church with colored sawdust and stencils ready to create their works of art.

One man we talked to said that months before Easter the community donates funds so that they can gather up and dye all the sawdust the different colors that will be needed. Other materials are also used on these carpets such as rice, ashes, shells and flowers to help make them as beautiful as possible.

It’s hard to believe those are all made out of colored sawdust, they are a true masterpiece and a religious tradition. Besides the carpets, the most impressive part is that it brings the whole community together as one. From organizing, sourcing out sawdust, cutting stencils, dying all the colors, designing and the actually assembly of the carpets. From the very young to the very old, the whole community comes together to achieve one goal, and it is a truly amazing site to see.

Happy Easter! Hope you enjoyed this wonderful tradition that is celebrated in our little corner of the world.