Holy Week in Tepoztlán

Palm Sunday with Arturo carrying his palms.

Easter was just celebrated all over the world. Mexico is largely a Catholic country, and is no exception. They take this holiday very seriously, and have a whole week of events leading up to it, called Semana Santa, or Holy Week. The week after fulfilling one's spiritual and family obligations is part of a two-week break when many go on vacation--to beaches or other popular tourist destinations.

Before researching this, I knew little of the details of Semana Santa. As a secular Jew, I may have gotten some of the details wrong, so please feel free to correct me in the comments section below. One experience of mine during this week that I really enjoyed, was its somber silence. Usually in Tepoztlán, one experiences seemingly endless fireworks and loud um-pa-pa music. Even when the church bells ring, fireworks are exploded along with them. But this week was decidedly different.

To back up a bit, Carnival started the second week of February. Fat Tuesday was Feb. 13, and the Lenten season began Ash Wednesday, on the 14th. Read my blogs about Carnival here and here. Lent is a 40 day time duplicating Jesus time in the desert, and ends on Easter Sunday.

Let's go through the five days of Holy Week. 

(NOTE: I obtained the information below, on the five days from parade.com.)

Palm Sunday

Here is a video featuring two parades:

Palm Sunday includes "Jesus's Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling a prophecy: “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey . . . “

The people, on this particular day, loved him. A great crowd formed around him, waving palm branches in the air, eventually laying them on the road beside their cloaks.

The palm branches they waved on that day became the ashes they smeared on their foreheads next year for Ash Wednesday. This custom has endured.

The restaurants get "jazzed up" for the holiday: Top, Colorines; Bottom, El Chinelo

Maundy Thursday

Jesus enjoyed the Last Supper with his disciples.

Church exteriors are decorated as with the Santisima Church

 

Jesus took a cloth and stooped down to wash the feet of his followers. Later that evening, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane. This is a time to commemorate and participate in Communion, and to enjoy singing. Some churches offer a morning service where consecration of the holy oils used throughout the year takes place.

Good Friday

Good Friday is one of the most important days in the Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. 

The walls of Santo Domingo Church are decorated

In short, Good Friday marks the crucifixion and death of Christ. On this day, many Christians reflect upon Christ’s sacrifice for their sins.

Believers mark Good Friday by praying the Stations of the Cross. Church bells are silent. Altars are left bare. The solemn, muted atmosphere is preserved until the Easter Vigil.

Holy Saturday

We know details about the crucifixion on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. But let's take a closer look at Holy Saturday. 

Entrance to Santo Domingo Church

This is the day the Lord rested, and the church, too, refrains from activity. It's a time of fasting and mourning. It has been called the 'Second Sabbath' after creation. Silence and reflection is encouraged.

Holy Saturday is the last day of Lent and the conclusion of Holy Week. It's followed immediately by the Easter Vigil, which begins just before nightfall and must conclude before daybreak.

Easter Sunday

In the Christian tradition, Easter Sunday is a joyful celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It’s also a happy time for many non-Christians, marked by colorful eggs, Easter bunnies and plenty of sweet treats. 

As spring rolls around each year, you know that Easter celebrations are just around the corner. It’s a time to (hopefully) forget about the winter woes, focus on new life, and getting together with family. And even though we’re all used to seeing the ubiquitous chocolates resting on store shelves for months ahead of time, and a lot of us have grown up seeing (or sitting on the lap of) the Easter Bunny at a local mall, it’s likely that many people might question exactly how this holiday came to be.

The purpose of celebrating Easter in the church is to acknowledge Jesus’ death, as well as His resurrection and what that means for anyone who chooses to believe in Him.

Easter, also known as “Resurrection Sunday,” is a holiday that commemorates Jesus being raised from the dead after His crucifixion. For Christians, this event is of especially great significance because by acknowledging and believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection, they know that their faith (as opposed to works/actions) is what allows them to enter Heaven/spend eternity with Jesus when they die.

It is generally believed that the actual name of “Easter” comes from a pagan holiday celebrating the goddess “Eostre,” who represented spring and fertility.

Mural on the street outside of Santo Domingo Church depicting a hummingbird as a symbol of resurrection