Semana Santa
Vacation Time in Mexico
As I write this, it is Sunday, April 2, 2023. This day is Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and it marks the beginning of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Mexico. As a predominantly Catholic country, Semana Santa is one of the biggest holidays in Mexico. Two days this week - Jueves Santos and Viernes Santos (Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) - are public holidays, with the week ending on Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday) a week from today.
Solemn celebrations such as parades and silent processions featuring players representing Jesus Christ, the apostles and the Romans are common in colonial towns throughout Mexico during the week of Semana Santa. Additionally, since school kids get the week off, Semana Santa is a huge vacation week in Mexico. Many families head to popular vacation destinations, with the most popular being beach towns.
So in keeping with the Mexican tradition of taking the week off and flocking to the beach for Semana Santa, I will be am doing the same. I am putting away the laptop and enjoying the warm weather and cool evening breezes of the Pacific coast of Mexico. This means there will be no Thursday article this week, and barely one on Monday (today).
If you are in Mexico, enjoy the time with families, festivities, processions, crowds, and traffic (well, maybe those last two are not something to enjoy). Meanwhile, I'll be applying more sunscreen 😎.
Enjoy! And, while you imbibe your favorite vacation drink, ponder on the possible cultural meaning of this: The Catholic religion gives us the imagery of battered and bloodied Christ on the cross while Protestants own and display 'empty' crosses focusing on the (miraculous, if you ask me) resurrection. Remember our conversation about "el sacrificio". To be transparent, I try not to ponder too much on my early life Catholic teaching received....yet here I am.
Enjoy the beach Mike. Take a break, relax, have a cool beverage of some sort and keep the sunscreen on!