Semana Santa

Well, I did go and move rocks for church and community. What was supposed to be one evening turned into two and along with 15 or so stalwart civic minded folks we moved tons of rocks and on the next day cleaned up the park of all the old cement and bricks that had recently been replaced by new brick borders all around the small park a block from my place. City workers placed the rocks and installed new plants over the course of the next three days. The church was given a quick new paint job and, of course, the new lights for the square were installed.

The pressure to complete this work was related, as I suspected, to Semana Santa – Easter week (two of our weeks). The church in question (San Juan de Dios) is the host for the ”Senor de la Columna” – one of the areas most beloved statues of Christ – a life-size replica tied to a column. It is carried to the church each year in a four-mile procession from Atotonilco, its home. After a week of celebrations here at San Juan de Dios it is carried in elaborate processions to other churches in town and finally next Wednesday will be returned via procession to Atotonilco

As predicted the procession arrived in elaborate fashion in a procession that actually included three large statues being carried by the faithful and escorted by gurads dressed as roman soldiers. Paper flowers, flags and banners (all in purple and white) decorate the church and all along the streets where the procession passes. The streets are strewn with sweet smelling white flowers and palm frawns, which are quickly cleaned up by the city detail, once the procession passes. Hundreds of families mill around the church plaza throughout the warm days and evenings drinking brightly coloured “agues frescas” and eating the corn, cotton candy, fried platanos (sweet and cream drenched) and especially bombasos (hot savoury taco-covered chicken or cheese sandwiches fried in oil) that are being prepared by women on charcoal fired hot plates all around the square.