The feast of the Black Christ of Esquipulas is January 15, and in 2027 it falls on a Friday. On that day, according to the Guatemalan paper La Hora, the town of Esquipulas in Chiquimula becomes the main religious pilgrimage point of Guatemala and Central America. The image was carved in 1594 by the Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño, and researcher Pepe Guzmán Velásquez (Infobae) says it draws visitors from southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Every date below carries its source.
111 days to go until January 15 2027.In short: Date: Friday January 15 2027. Novena: January 7 to 15 (as in 2026). The night of the 14th: a serenade in the first minute of the 15th, then the first solemn Mass; in 2026 the basilica stayed open 24 hours on the feast days and some queues ran up to 10 hours. Crowds: more than 500,000 people over the season, by the estimate of researcher Pepe Guzmán Velásquez (Infobae, January 2026). Bus: Rutas Orientales from Centra Norte, zone 17. Public holiday? Not nationally.
Why January 15
La Hora reports that the January 15 feast was set in 1870, when Pope Pius IX fixed that date for the liturgical celebration of the Lord of Esquipulas, and that on January 15 1916 the image was solemnly consecrated by the Archbishop of Guatemala, Julián Raymundo Riveiro y Jacinto.
The history, with dates
| Year | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1594 | Fray Cristóbal de Morales commissions Quirio Cataño to carve “un crucifijo de vara y media, bien acabado y perfeccionado” (a crucifix one and a half varas tall), for one hundred tostones collected by local farmers | AGN |
| October 4 1594 | Cataño delivers the image | Pepe Guzmán Velásquez, in Infobae |
| March 9 1595 | Church authorities choose this date as the start of the devotion | AGN |
| 1740 | The first Archbishop of Guatemala, Fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa, orders the new sanctuary, designed by the architects Diego and Felipe José de Porres | AGN, La Hora |
| 1759 | The temple is finished and the image moved into it | AGN |
| 1870 | Pius IX sets January 15 as the liturgical feast | La Hora |
| January 15 1916 | Solemn consecration of the image | La Hora |
| January 27 1961 | Pope John XXIII raises the sanctuary to a Minor Basilica | AGN |
| 1970 | The basilica is declared a Historic Monument | La Hora |
| 1993-1994 | IDAEH restores and conserves the images | AGN, La Hora |
| 1996 | John Paul II presides over the fourth centenary of the Christ and visits the basilica | AGN |
| 2009 | Jubilee Holy Year for the basilica’s 250th anniversary | AGN |
The carving is Mannerist in style; historian Aníbal Chajón, quoted by AGN, says Cataño worked from German engravings.
Not every source agrees on the dates. Some outlets say the image was carved in 1595 or that the basilica’s construction began in 1758 (TV Azteca Guatemala, January 2026). This page follows AGN’s timeline: commission in 1594, devotion from 1595, temple built from 1740 to 1759. Guzmán Velásquez says the image was delivered in 1594 but only reached Esquipulas in March 1595, delayed by bad roads and by the towns along the way asking for it to stay the night.
Why it is dark
AGN’s explanation is that the Christ “era originalmente encarnado y adquirió su color oscuro por una oxidación producida por el humo de las velas y el incienso al que estaba expuesto” — it was originally flesh-coloured and darkened as candle smoke and incense oxidised it. La Hora adds that IDAEH’s 1993-1994 restoration confirmed its original colour was not black, and notes that symbolic readings of the colour also circulate.
What the feast looks like
As reported in January 2026:
- Novena: January 7 to 15, with Masses, serenades and processions at the basilica (Infobae, citing Guzmán Velásquez).
- First minute of January 15: the traditional serenade, followed by the first solemn Mass of the day, then Masses, prayers and rosaries all day (TV Azteca Guatemala).
- Basilica open 24 hours over the feast days, according to church authorities quoted by TV Azteca.
- Queues: some pilgrims waited up to 10 hours for a few seconds before the image (TV Azteca).
- Procession: the final stretch of the feast includes the procession of the Black Christ over carpets made by local families and shops, and the celebrations close with fireworks (Infobae).
How many people come: Guzmán Velásquez estimates more than 500,000 people over the season and says demand fills the municipality’s 132 hotels (Infobae). AGN wrote in January 2025 that the image draws millions of people every January 15 and throughout the year, without a figure per season. We found no official visitor count.
The devotion continues after January: in February the Caravana del Zorro, a mass motorcycle pilgrimage, ends at the basilica (Infobae).
Getting there from Guatemala City
Rutas Orientales is the main operator of direct buses, according to Guatemala.com, from the Centra Norte terminal in zone 17, where it also has its head office. What Guatemala.com published in January 2025, in the middle of the season:
| January 2025 (Guatemala.com) | |
|---|---|
| Departures from Guatemala City | 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00; Fridays also 19:30 |
| Return from Esquipulas | 1:30 to 17:15 |
| Fare | Roughly Q100 to Q110 per person |
| Journey | Five to six hours |
| Bookings | Guatemala.com gave 2326-3200, Facebook or WhatsApp; Rutas Orientales’ site gives 3173-1374 for bookings and 2326-3200 for customer service |
Guatemala.com advised arriving at least 30 minutes early on holidays and weekends. The schedule page on Rutas Orientales’ own website carried no schedule in text when we read it on September 25 2026 (only the heading and its booking and customer-service numbers, 3173-1374 and 2326-3200), so there is no January 2027 timetable to quote yet. For the rest of the year and the other options, see Guatemala City to Esquipulas.
Where to stay in Esquipulas
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If Esquipulas is full in January, look at the other towns of Chiquimula department.
Is January 15 a public holiday?
Not nationally. Article 127 of the Labour Code does not include January 15 among the paid holidays. It does include each town’s own feast day (“el día de la festividad de la localidad”), but we found no official statement of which day that is for Esquipulas, so we do not claim it.
Related
- Esquipulas, the town and the January ferias.
- Guatemala’s 2026 holidays and every event on the calendar.
- When to go: the best time to visit Guatemala, month by month.
Sources: AGN, January 15 2024 and January 15 2025; La Hora, January 15 2026; Infobae, January 15 2026; TV Azteca Guatemala, January 14 2026; Guatemala.com, January 9 2025; Rutas Orientales website; Guatemalan Labour Code, Art. 127. All read on September 25 2026. Spanish quotations are left in the original with an English gloss outside the quotation marks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Black Christ of Esquipulas feast day?
January 15 every year. In 2027 it falls on Friday January 15. In 2026 the novena ran from January 7 to January 15, according to local researcher Pepe Guzmán Velásquez, quoted by Infobae.
Why is it celebrated on January 15?
According to the Guatemalan paper La Hora, Pope Pius IX set January 15 as the liturgical feast of the Lord of Esquipulas in 1870, and on January 15 1916 the image was solemnly consecrated by the Archbishop of Guatemala, Julián Raymundo Riveiro y Jacinto.
Who carved the Black Christ of Esquipulas?
The Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño. According to Guatemala’s state news agency AGN, Fray Cristóbal de Morales commissioned him in 1594 to carve a crucifix, paid with one hundred tostones collected by local farmers. The church authorities chose March 9 1595 as the start of its devotion.
Why is the Christ of Esquipulas black?
It was not dark at first. AGN explains that the image was originally flesh-coloured and darkened through oxidation caused by candle smoke and incense. La Hora adds that the 1993-1994 restoration by Guatemala’s Institute of Anthropology and History (IDAEH) showed that its original colour was not black.
Is the basilica open at night during the pilgrimage?
During the 2026 feast days, church authorities said the temple would stay open 24 hours, according to TV Azteca Guatemala, which also reported that some pilgrims queued up to 10 hours for a few seconds in front of the image.
How do I get to Esquipulas from Guatemala City?
According to Guatemala.com, Rutas Orientales is the main operator of direct buses, from the Centra Norte terminal in zone 17. In January 2025, Guatemala.com listed departures from 4:00 to 18:00 (plus 19:30 on Fridays only), a fare of roughly Q100 to Q110 per person and a trip of five to six hours. Rutas Orientales’ own website gives 3173-1374 for seat bookings and 2326-3200 for customer service.
Is January 15 a public holiday in Guatemala?
Not nationally. Article 127 of the Labour Code does not list January 15. It does list the local feast day of each town as a paid holiday there, but we found no official statement of which day that is for Esquipulas, so we do not claim it.
