Semana Santa

Holy Week or Semana Santa in Nicaragua is a strange mix of religious traditions and vacation time. The date for this holiday is set by the Catholic Church. In Nicaragua there are two main church groups: evangelical or Catholics. Each group has their own traditions but for each it is perhaps the most active and busiest time of the year.

Religious Traditions:

Catholic: Their first procession begins on Palm Sunday with something called the Donkey Procession. A large procession of people will gather with a donkey and a statue of Jesus on it. The people will wave palm branches and music will be playing. On Good Friday the Stations of the Cross Procession takes place. Once again priests and people will walk in the streets and will stop 14 times, the number of stops Jesus made on His way to Calvary, at different peoples homes where altars of Jesus have been set up. At each stop the people will sing, pray, and make requests. In the evening of Good Friday there is a third procession called the Service of Darkness, symbolizing Jesus death and burial. This is a very solemn and slow procession in the streets, but this time carrying a statue of Jesus in a coffin. On Saturday night a service begins in the church and ends early Sunday morning.

I've run into many of these processions over the last week in the streets. Sometimes you can squeeze by them, but other times you need to take a detour around. There are often many people in attendance. Sometimes the people let off fireworks as well. Every occasion social gathering deems itself worth to let off fireworks in Nicaragua.

Evangelical: Throughout the whole week of Semana Santa many of the churches have a service at 5:00 in the morning. On Friday night I attended a service which began at 3:00 pm the time that Christ was crucified on the cross. The service was based on the 7 phrases Jesus spoke from the cross. There was a short meditation on each phrase. On Sunday morning I attended the sunrise service at 5:00am. This is a resurrection service which has a very joyful and happy feel to it. Many churches will also hold a baptism for new believers or members of the church. Because this week is a very festive time of year, many very traditional foods are prepared. At the sunrise service I attended, they served nacatamales at 7:00 in the morning! A nacatamale is a mix of pork, corn meal, and a few vegetables cooked in a plantain leaf.

Other Traditions:

Pools: It's in the days leading up to Semana Santa that you will start to see little backyard pools for sale on the side of the road. Semana Santa also marks the hottest time of the year so many people will buy a pool. Whether you are young or old you may find yourself cooling down in a blow up pool.

Beaches: Many do not stay in their homes though. Buses heading in the direction of the beach are brimming full with people. This is the time of year when the beaches are very crowded and busy. Unfortunately a lot of alcohol is consumed and many drownings are reported in this week.

Thus ends our week of vacation time. It's back to the books again tomorrow.