Derecho

> Holy Week in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, the combination of strong traditions and a celebrative character make the Holy Week celebrations one of the most commemorative events of the year for manyNicaraguans. It is a moment of interesting, massive processions, as well as a period of summer vacations during which diversion and relaxation form the main priorities. There are furthermore even culinaryexpressions related to this particular period of the year.
During Holy Week, or Semana Santa in Spanish, Christian cultures like the one in Nicaragua commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus.These celebrations take place at the end of March or at the beginning of April. The exact date is set by the Catholic Church and it depends on the phases on the moon. Below follows a description ofthe celebrations that take place in our country.
Religious Traditions
Religious traditions are an important aspect of the Nicaraguan culture. During Holy Week, hundreds and hundreds of peopleparticipate in processions that are inspired by biblical passages. These processions take place throughout Nicaragua, in all towns and cities, and they are organized by the Catholic Church (in fact, HolyWeek is the busiest week of the whole year for the religious community). An overview of the most interesting processions follows below.
The Donkey Procession: the so-called ‘Procesión de la Burrita’(Donkey Procession in English) takes place in the morning of Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday), one day before the Holy Week. A statue of Jesus, or a real person dressed as him, is set on a donkey. Apriest and parishioners walk around in a small procession, together with Jesus’ representation and the donkey, holding palm fronds, accompanied by philharmonic music (in Nicaragua with a band called‘Chicheros’). This pageant lasts for a couple of hours and ends and starts in the chapel.
This procession is commonly known as ‘Procesión de las Palmas” (Palm Procession), but in Nicaragua it is...