In Mexico, Easter is a nationwide spectacle of pageantry, reverence, and
celebration, lasting through out Holy Week. Planning for Holy Week starts with months of anticipation and festivities including passion plays, fervent processions, special foods, and altar displays taking place all over the country.

Since the mass conversion of the indigenous peoples to Catholicism in the
16th century, Semana Santa (Holy Week) - a reverent observance of the last days of Jesus, and Pascua - a celebration of the resurrection - have become the most important religious holidays in Mexico next to Christmas. As with most Mexican celebrations, Semana Santa combines the country’s strong Spanish heritage with elements of its Prehispanic past. For generations, pilgrims and tourists alike have journeyed to Mexico to witness the festive yet reverent Semana Santa.

The solemn festivities usually begin on Palm Sunday, commemorating the day that Jesus arrived to Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion. As the biblical
passage goes, palm branches and clothing were spread in his path, and today, reenactments often include these elements. Holy Thursday commemorates the day of the Last Supper, marked by nationwide visits to seven temples, designated churches in each town or city. Good Friday marks the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross, with most Christians fasting on this day and reenactments of the crucifixion taking place all over the country. Easter Sunday is a day for celebration, commemorating the day of Jesus’ resurrection, featuring music, dance and cultural activities.

Continuing Cemanahuac’s dedication to introducing our students to the
fascinating and rich culture of Mexico, our students will participate in several of the most interesting and unique Holy Week activities in our area of Cuernavaca.

-- On Palm Sunday, churches distribute palms woven into special designs, and the Holy Week observances, for which communities have been preparing for months, get underway in all churches and communities.

-- Earlier in the week, we’ll go to the public markets to see the palms, the
special foods, and the statues which mark this religious time of the year.
Churches will hold extra services.

-- On Holy Thursday, the school will lead a field study trip to the silver city
of Taxco to one of the most most unusual religious ceremonies in the country, as we observe the solemn procession of the penitentes, the men and women who show their faith and penitence by inflicting pain on themselves during this most holy week -- an ancient tradition dating to the middle ages and introduced to Mexico from Spain almost 500 years ago. Many other processions with the faithful of all ages are going on in the city in the early evening.

- Good Friday is a national holiday, and no Spanish classes will be held, but there is much to see of a cultural nature. The school will lead a field study trip to the village of Buenavista, where our Rural Studies program takes place. In Buenavista, the entire village, men, women, children and the smallest babies will begin a procession at the village church and wind their way, by candlelight, through the cobblestone streets. Some will carry crosses, some will carry statues, and some will merely walk together with their families and friends in the quiet evening procession.

Each of these observances are among the most memorable and moving religious events our students have experienced over the years, and each reflects the rich culture and religious heritage of Mexico.

We invite you to be a part of Holy Week in Mexico, while studying Spanish in our regular morning classes. Please write to Vivian Harvey for more
information and fees.

For More Information

For more information, contact Vivian Harvey, cemanahuac1@cs.com.

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