Wahaca

History & Heritage, Wahacos

Semana Santa & Exploding Judas Effigies

Easter is a big deal in Mexico where over 90% of the population is Catholic. The Easter period, known as Semana Santa, starts on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and comes to an end on Easter Sunday (Domingo de Pascua). But unlike in the UK, where Easter is mainly about chocolate eggs, roast lamb and school holidays, Mexicans approach Semana Santa with the explosive zeal that you’ll also see in Día de los Muertos. You can read more about the ins and outs of the celebrations and the culture of passion plays on Go Mexico.

But the most fun part about Easter in Mexico is the ritual explosion of Judas effigies. It takes place on Holy Saturday and is supposed to represent revenge for the betrayal of Jesus. Apparently the ritual was banned in Guadalajara after a few people died. Just have a look at the video of a witch being blown up below to get a flavour!

Semana Santa is also a riotously vibrant time for Mexican food. For wonderful stories about ice cream made from the ice from Mount Popocatépetl as well as recipes for the likes of Horchata, Agua de Chia and Pambazos head over to this article on Mexconnect by Karen Hursh Graber.

Further Semana Santa reading:

Mexconnect articles about Semana Santa
Go Mexico
Semana Santa photos on Flickr
Semana Santa Celebrations in Oaxaca