marzo: Holy Week in Mexico

Holy Week was an interesting time to be in Mexico. It is a major holiday for Catholics, but like all things, the amount of participation varies from person to person. To give you an idea of what Holy Week was like, here is the day-by-day explanation of events.

Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): One week before Easter, Palm Sunday is celebrated. Markets sell elaborate palm weavings of the crucifix, flowers, and other designs that church-goers can carry come the special day. Many communities re-enact this Biblical event when Jesus entered into Jerusalem to his followers carrying palm branches a week before his death and resurrection. Here in the house of Marce, we woke up before dawn and waited at a nearby park at 6am. Her grandson, Marco, was chosen to portray Jesus riding in on a donkey. Marce, Marco, myself, Sarah, Kyle (Sarah's friend visiting from the US), and one of Marce's friends waited in the park... and waited, and waited... welcome to Mexico. Eventually the man with the burro (donkey) arrived and a nervous Marco climbed up and we started walking. As we walked we sang songs and people came out of their homes, little by little, until we were a massive crowd of palm swaying, singing, celebrating Christians. The priest came from the church and met us in the street and led us back to worship.

Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday): We celebrate the foot washing during this day. According to scriptures, Jesus washed the feet of his followers despite their protests of him being the holy one worthy of having his feet washed. Even if you do not subscribe to Christianity, it is a lesson that I enjoy in which the powerful becomes the servant at the feet of others. We participated in the lavatorio de pies (foot washing) here at our local church. Marce recruited Sarah and I to be one of the few pairs of public feet-washers. She insisted that we prepare a little spiel about a promise, or covenant, that we want to make to each other, to ourselves, and to the community. We both got a bit on our soapbox about what this year is teaching us. Sarah said that she wants to take back what she's learned and share it with others in hopes of creating dialogues and understandings to make a more just world. I talked about how I am a missionary this year, but I am also a missionary for life and that I intend on living in a way that I believe to be just by loving, caring for, and serving all of my brothers and sisters of humankind, regardless of religion, race, language or status. Neither Sarah nor I remember the "promise" as part of the scripture teaching... but we did it to make Marce happy.

Viernes Santo (Holy Friday): On Friday, many communities hold a viacrucis, or Stations of the Cross. This celebration can be low-key without costumes and simply a procession and explanation of the different stations with perhaps different community members carrying a cross. This can also be an extravagant re-enactment including costumes, actors, music, props, etc that create the full effect of Jesus' last day on earth. A few photos on flikr from one of these more elaborate viacrucis in a city called Iztapalapa.

Sabado de Gloria (Saturday of Glory): Late mass, ours started at 10pm and lasted until 1am (gotta love our new, traditional Catholic priest who just wants to hear his own voice *rolling eyes*) Our priest also set off fireworks and shouted loudly at the stroke of midnight.

Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday): Early morning mass (yes, just a few hours after leaving the church the night before) and then some traditional Mexican favorite foods like mole, pozole, or romeros (dried shrimp in mole sauce)... depends on the family.

*PHOTOS TO COME WHEN I GET THEM FROM SARAH*