Mexico and its beautiful traditions at Holy Week

As it is well known, Holy Week commemorates the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since the eighteenth century the Catholic religion carries out this tradition, considered the most important. Among the activities to be performed during the holy day are Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, the betrayal of Jesus, the washing of feet, the Last Supper, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, among others.

Jerusalem and Rome are some of the places on the world where this tradition is deeply rooted, but Mexico is not far behind, as data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) estimate that 82% of the population is a believer of the catholic religion.

This year the commemoration falls from April 14th to 21st and all the states of the Mexican Republic participate in the celebration, however, some places have rituals that you cannot miss. We will talk to you about some.

From March 6 the activities began with the well-known Ash Wednesday. This day represents the first day of Lent and the beginning of 40 days of penance for believers of Catholicism. Throughout the day, people who are believers go to their church to take ash, which is taken from the bouquets that people donate the previous year to their religious center. According to the beliefs, people who are between 18 and 60 years old should be fasting and abstinence, others if they prefer to eat, but they cook foods that do not have red meat, such as cod, shrimp broth, tuna or chicken in all their presentations, others do not cook and prefer to buy food, this action applies for all Fridays during Lent.

San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí.

On Good Friday, after the crucifixion of Jesus (to be precise at 8:00 pm) a monumental procession crosses the main streets of the capital of Potosí. Hooded with candles, the people walk for more than two hours to express their grief for the death of Jesus Christ.

It is estimated that about 200 thousand people participate in this event and all in complete silence. The Procession of Silence of San Luis Potosí is the second most important in the world after the pilgrimage that takes place the same day, but in Seville Spain.

Taxco, Guerrero.

If we talk about Easter, Taxco is a place you have to go. Since the beginning of the week the people in Taxco begin to arrange their streets with fruits, candles and papers of white, black and purple color. Something that is characterized in Taxco is that from the first day of the commemoration there are processions everywhere.

If you visit this magical town we invite you to check these processions: Holy Monday is the Procession of Virgins with the images of the Nativity San Miguel Arcángel,

Tuesday is the Procession of Souls and only women participate and they are tied arms and legs to really heavy chains as a symbol of penance, Friday is the Procession of Silence, in it the “Encruzados deTaxco” that are characterized to go barefoot, hooded and with the torso discovered, along the route, they stick in the back with a cord that is formed by rods of bramble, with a weight of approximately 50 kilos. These are some of the Holy Week activities in Taxco.

Iztapalapa, Mexico City.

Iztapalapa also has its scenery of Holy Week, this year marks the 176th anniversary of the Catholics in the CDMX commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Thursday afternoon you can appreciate the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet and the Imprisonment of Jesus. On Friday afternoon, the traditional Via Crucis takes place with the picture of Holy Week Iztapalapa, that has for destination the three falls and crucifixion of Christ in the well-known Cerro de la Estrella. Between ice cream, “romeritos” and more than 30 degrees centigrade you will also have to have near your family or friends because it is estimated that every year gather more than a million and a half people per day.

Mineral del Chico, Hidalgo.

Finish your Easter trip in the state of Hidalgo. Here the beautiful thing is Easter Sunday, because in the Church of “Purísima Concepción de Mineral del Chico”, at the end of half-day the people begins a “rain of petals” that lasts few emotive and valuable minutes that you can only live once a year. In this ritual people raise their hands because it is believed that the petals are healing, even people put them in water to bathe with them. A beautiful and emotional way to close the season.

If you want to enjoy it with your family we guarantee that these places will surprise you.

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