The miracles of sawdust

I never had much respect for sawdust.  I mean, it's tiny particles of wood that are left over from the work of carpenters.  My relationship with it, if you call it a relationship, has consisted of sweeping it and then yelling at it (as if it can listen) for getting in my eyes. 

But here, there is an entirely different relationship with sawdust.  Guatemalans dye it and then make it into beautiful alfombras (carpets) that welcome Jesus and Mary as they reenact the last days of Jesus' life.  

These carpets are BEAUTIFUL!  

Painstakingly made for hours by people of all ages and walks of life, they use boards to lie on top of the dust without disturbing it and then place the certain desired colors of sawdust in each spot of a form creating layers and layers of different colors of sawdust into beautiful shapes and works of art.  (I am definitely not detailed oriented enough for this!)

One of the forms... check out that detail!

Using one of the forms

Adding touch-ups

A family project

Friends making a beautiful, rainbowed one

Even kids can  make them!

The product? Beautiful carpets!

Then, what happens next, you may ask?

The Roman Soldiers and the band come... they walk around the carpets.

Then, purple people called Cucuruchos (so says this source), bring in Jesus on a giant float. 

They walk on the carpets.

Then comes the women carrying a float with the Virgin Mary... 

They also walk on the carpets.

Then, you have a bit of a mess and a quick clean up.

Tina asked a cucurucho how long their procession went for.  He said that they started at 1pm and would end at 11pm.

I'm learning that Lent is really big here in Guatemala.  People make it a point to not forget the acts of Jesus on the cross for us, and they also spend hours upon hours preparing (both their hearts and figuratively through these rugs) preparing for Him to come.

This gets me thinking... how am I preparing for Easter?