Semana Santa and more...

Let's get this straight upfront.  The name is Semana Santa (Holy Week).  But, like most things in Mexico, what you see is not what you get.  It is actually two weeks -- well a little more if you count...never mind.  The first week is dedicated to the pursuit of religion and the second week to the pursuit of pleasure.  We have entered week two.  This means that a large percentage of Guadalajarans (Tapatios as they are known locally) have decided to decamp their urban sprawl for the beauty of Lake Chapala.  It is crowded but festive.  But onward, there is much to cover on the celebration of Easter at Lakeside.

It all began on Palm Sunday.  We were on the street early -- like an hour and a half early-- because it is hard to ascertain when things are supposed to start, and then they always start late, but you don't know how late, because you don't know when they were supposed to start.  That happened all week in fact.  Anyway, when we arrived the street was cleared of cars (mostly) and large stacks of alfalfa had been placed on the sidewalks at several hundred foot intervals.  Eventually, families emerged from their homes and began scattering the alfalfa over the street creating a carpet-like effect. Very pretty.  More waiting. Darkness. Hang out with Ramon, Ed, Mary and her niece.  And then we see the procession approaching.  Jesus is riding on a donkey accompanied by his people.  Then comes the priest and his people.  The priest is chanting and the villagers who are following him are responding.  As the procession progresses, the people they pass fall in behind until there are hundreds.  They proceed to the Church where the Archbishop of Guadalajara (see, I TOLD you they all came here) says Mass and Semana Santa is now underway.  In the midst of all this, the Passion Play Committee has organized an old-fashioned village fair with food and fun in the Plaza.  Quite the night.

An indigenous woman weaving palms for Palm Sunday.

The altar boys headed for Seis Esquinas walking on the streets covered with alfalfa.

We've seen religious processions and ceremonies here in the Village many times but nothing even comes close to Semana Santa.  Nothing.  First of all, it is a huge undertaking.There are indigenous women weaving palm fronds nonstop.  They repaint the church.  They construct and erect elaborate stage sets for the Passion Plays (they say Ajijic is in the top three in Mexico).  Thousands of empenadas (delicious!) are baked.  Food stalls are erected.  Effigies are created (more on that later).

After Palm Sunday, things quieted down for a few days. But come Maundy Thursday (that is a strange word-- Maundy-- a new day of the week?  I must ask a religious friend) things really start to crank.   After our traditional Thursday night Breakfast Club dinner, a group of us decamp to the Plaza to await the start of the first phase of the Passion Play.  When Mass concludes, all the actors in the Passion Play wend their way (followed by all of us) up the cobblestoned streets to the new site of the Passion Play.  The new site is on a hill, well a mountain, well almost a cliff.  It is an arduous journey in the dark, on the cobblestones, with a few margaritas in us, but we all make it.  This is FANTASTIC!  Hundreds of villagers have ascended while others are content to line the route along the way.  This is not a hokey thing.  Good lighting. Good sound system.  A little confused about why they were playing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" while the crowd gathered but hey...  The first part of the Pasion de Cristo includes:  The Garden of Gethsemane; Christ's final teachings to his disciples and the Kiss of Judas.  The finale is the Pharisees, wielding flaming torches (it is dry season-- very worrisome) apprehending Jesus and marching him back to the Plaza where scenes of the Judgement by the Sanhedrin were enacted in front of the little Rosario Chapel.

The Roman soldiers with Judas who have come to take Jesus.

Okay.  You know what's next.  Good Friday.  The conclusion of the Passion Play is "scheduled" (see above) to occur at 10AM in the front courtyard of the big church (San Andres).  We go early to get a place in the shade.  Good thinking.  April and May are our summer -- hotter and drier than any other time. Well they finally kick off around 11:15 or so.  And boy, it is hot.   Not great for us, but what about the actors?  For instance there are these boys sprayed entirely in gold and silver paint who have to stand on pedestals without moving a muscle for about 20 minutes.  Robes.  Gladiator outfits. No picnic.  Three more scenes of the play are enacted and then Christ carries the Cross (which is HUGE) back up that unbelievable hill and they reenact the Crucifixion. It is now the hottest point in the day. I bailed.  No way was I trudging up that hill again in that heat. Nope.  Let's make Mikey do it.  Great idea. And he did -- hat's off!  Later that night there was another Mass which was followed by La Marcha de Silencio.  This is a procession in which everyone is mute and the only sounds are of feet shuffling and chains being dragged.  By this point we were pretty exhausted and didn't attend the Marcha but I think it might have creeped me out.  Always next year....

The scenery and costuming for the Passion Play was worthy of a Broadway production.

Herod confronts Jesus (the silver statues are real people). NB: Herod only gets silver statues, while Pilate gets gold.

Herod's wife gives Jesus a royal purple cloak, while mocking him.

Jesus back before Pontius Pilate, as the mob looks on.

Pontius Pilate reading the decree sentencing Jesus.

Pilate offering the mob the choice of letting Jesus go or Barrabas.

The Roman soldiers casting die for the cloak of Jesus.

Jesus being scourged by the Romans...

crowned with thorns...

and given a cloak, as they mocked the "King of the Jews".

Jesus brought back before Pilate...

where Pilate washes his hands of the crucifixion of Jesus.

A bloody Jesus is led forth....

where the cross is put upon his shoulder...

and the long march to Calvary begins.

The townspeople follow Jesus, the two thieves and the mob on the long march up the hill.

The first thief is crucified.

Jesus' cross is raised between the two thieves.

A very realistic reenactment of the crucifixion.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the "beloved disciple" approach...

and kneel at the bottom of the cross.

After his death Jesus is lowered from the cross...

and carried away to be buried.

By the time the crucifixion is over the set in front of the Church is almost completely dismantled...

and the actors portraying the Roman soldiers pick up their back packs and head home.

The Easter Vigil.  I'm relying on the reportage of our friends Jim and Chris for this because, regrettably, as it turns out, Michael and I were unaware of the big doings mostly.   There was, of course, the Mass.  The blessing of a Paschal candle the size of a cannon.  Blessing of the faithful with holy water but in a very unrestrained and lavish manner.  The priest intoned the Gloria and then there was an explosion.  All the Plaza lights came on at once. Christ's tomb had been set up and was guarded by four Roman soldiers. With the explosion the Roman guards ran from the tomb.The door of the tomb blew open from the blast and smoke, colored by strobe lights inside,  poured out of the empty tomb.  The villager who played Jesus was standing atop the tomb (one story up) with a cloth around his head and a loin cloth.  The head cloth blew off and fireworks (of course) rose up from the church and the church bells rang for five continuous minutes.  People waved white handkerchiefs for the five minutes as they cheered Jesus' resurrection.  Then the Mass continued.

Not having been there, the timeframes on all this are a little murky to me.  But, around 11PM they lit the effigy of Judas.  Interestingly, they had pinned the name of the last mayor on the back of Judas.  Going for a twofer I guess.  The effigy was, of course, rigged with four wheels of fireworks and, perhaps, some explosives.  Once set aflame the results were striking.  Flares of fireworks,  crackling paper, and a roaring explosion heard across the town.  Now THAT's fun!

One of the effigies prior to being lit up.

Other Random Notes:

The Deer Slayer:  Michael has refused to retire the Christmas reindeer from the front lawn because the vermillion flycatcher likes to sit on their antlers.  We arrived home one day to discover them slain (see photo) by one of the Killer Croquet palm fronds that had disengaged from its tree.  Their antlers have been temporarily reattached with duct tape (a.k.a. the Mexican miracle cure) and we are hoping for a full recovery soon.  They enjoyed the recent Easter celebration (see photo).

The antler sheared off by the Royal Palm frond when it fell from the tree.

The one antlered reindeer.

The repaired reindeer decorated for Easter.

Borracho at Easter:  You will remember our town drunk from blog reports of the The Globo and Charro festivals in which I reported on the town's forbearance in spite of his excesses.  Well, he does not confine himself to civic events.  Friends report that he made a vocal appearance (singing and swaying) at the Easter religious events -- most specifically at otherwise solemn masses.  We are proud to report that forbearance endured again as parishioners gently buffeted him out of harms way and smoothly incorporated him into the larger event.  There is much to be said for village life.

Another Beach Horror:  During our idyll at the Mayan Palace we noted that they flew a red flag everyday we were there, indicating that you should not swim.  We noted that the red flag was quite tattered.  Upon arriving home, Ron researched this and found out that you can NEVER swim in the ocean off the resort.  Horrific rip tides and undertows exist all up and down the beach and even strong, experienced swimmers can't handle it.  While the Mayan had a gigantic sign on the beach warning against renting ATVs, horses, masseurs or eating beach vendor's food they somehow managed to forget to mention the death dealing currents....... strange.

Another House Tour:  In the middle of ALL THIS there was another house tour.  Know you like them.  Will report next time.  Until then, have fun.