Day of the Black Christ of Esquipulas

For many people in Central and South America, the pilgrimage to the Black Christ of Esquipulas begins well in advance of the January 15 festival. Quite a number make the journey to Esquipulas entirely on foot. Many don wide-brimmed straw hats, to which they attach gray Spanish moss and chiches (breasts), a yellow fruit that resembles a gourd; those making the journey from Quetzaltenango blacken their hands with the juice from a special fruit. Ceremonial sites resembling altars, built from rocks brought by pilgrims, are scattered through the hills surrounding Esquipulas. Discuss


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