April 4–10, 2007, Number 141
This is a picture of one of the many churches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica where people will gather during the week of Semana Santa.
Semana Santa
While everyone in the United States is preparing to celebrate Easter, here in Costa Rica we are preparing to celebrate Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week. Along with the other schools in Costa Rica, my school has the week off so that the students and teachers can enjoy the many traditions surrounding Holy Week.
Costa Rica is a predominately Catholic country and, therefore, Semana Santa is a highly significant holiday. While in the United States, Easter is normally a weekend celebration, here in Costa Rica it is more like a week-long celebration. Here, the week is centered around the church and families. The local people celebrate by holding huge family gatherings and enjoying the parades, dancing, fireworks, and many other festivities put on by even small towns. The parades here are very dramatic and recreate the journey Christ took to the Cross and His Resurrection. On Holy Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the country comes to a halt. All businesses are closed, including public transportation, banks and offices. Many local people take the whole week off work and school and head to the many beautiful beaches that Costa Rica has to offer.
This is a statue outside of a church in Puntareans.
With everyone in the country traveling, the buses, hotels, and ferrys can become somewhat chaotic. Reservations for hotels and buses, prior to and during the week of Semana Santa, need to be made months in advanced, because the entire country is on a holiday break. Many of the students at my school are running into problems already with travel plans due to Semana Santa. So, if you find yourself in Central America during the week of Semana Santa, make reservations far in advance!!
I am doing as the locals do and heading to the beach. My plans entail returning for a second visit to the beautiful beach town of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica where I am going to spend the week surfing, studying Spanish, reading, and camping. Some of the other students in my school are going to Panama, while others are going to Honduras. I think it is going to be a fun week for everyone. I am really looking forward to experiencing Semana Santa here in Costa Rica. At the same time, I have to admit that it makes me miss home. Family is such an important part of the culture here and I can´t help but wish that I could be celebrating Easter with my own family.
- Happy Easter!
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