Holly Week/Semana Santa

First and foremost I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! If I am honest with all of you the hardest part about studying abroad has been being away from my family during the holidays. These are the days when I miss home the most, but it’s okay. Promise. At the same time I smile at the memories and traditions that I have with my family because when I am away from it, it also reminds me how blessed I am.

**To give you an idea of how my family does the holidays, at 22 I am the youngest and we still do an egg hunt…it is a blast and no easy feat.**

Here in Bolivia I was able to participate in the traditions of another family, and let me tell you, I partied it up like a Catholic this Easter. I went to the pueblito of Anzaldo which is a few hours from Cochabamba up in the mountains. Here is the daily run down of my trip:

Thursday:

We went to the house were all the action was at, we will call it Uncle Joe´s. And Uncle Joe´s everyone was served a small bit of bread and some sweet wine in reference to the last super when Jesus broke the bread as a representation of his body broken for ours and shared the wine as a representation of his blood that was given for us.

Good Friday:

Good Friday is the equivalent to Thanksgiving in the States in terms of food consumption. For lunch 12 distinct dishes are made; one for each of the disciples. I ate a lot. It was wonderful. Just to name a few of the dishes there was: arroz con leche, quinoa, oven backed pasta, baked potatoes, vegetable soup, sweet breads, and more. The main thing is that there was no meat. Fish was okay –meat was not.

After lunch we headed to the church for mass and the Catholics know how to turn Good Friday into well…a funeral. On Good Friday, Jesus was sacrificed on the cross and died for all of our sins so that through him we may know our heavenly father. Jesus was broken, bloody and bruised and died a death he never deserved. At the Catholic church there was a mannequin Jesus that was broken and bruised with holes in his hands and feet. He was placed into a glorified glass coffin. 12 men picked up the coffin and a procession started where everyone walked behind the coffin. Songs were sung and prayers were said. Throughout the procession there were various stops that represented the times Jesus was tempted on the mountain by satin. And then the procession ended with a short sermon back at the church.

The evening was then finished out at Uncle Joe´s where they played a movie for the kids and had everyone come over for food, drinks and games.  Oh I almost forgot, on Good Friday in Bolivia if you have livestock, from chickens to cows, it is best you skip the party and stay home. Since God is “dead” on Good Friday…he can’t see…which thus created a tradition of thievery in Bolivia. Since God “can’t see it” it’s okay. So watch out for your chickens before they are snatched by a hoodlum.

Saturday:

The day was quiet and calm. These are my favorite kinds of days, the days when the sun is soft and I can get lost in the pages of a book.

**Note: Please feel free to recommend your favorite book in the comments. I love to read and am always on the hunt for new books, I promise I’ll add your book to my ‘To Read’ list.

In the evening when the sun started to set we met up on the hill where a candle lit procession started. Today was a happy day, a celebration. Jesus died on the cross but he did not stay there, he rose from the grave. We walked from the top of the hill to the main church each person carrying their candle and their prayers as we walked and celebrated the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Then like the night before the procession ended at the church with a short session about the resurrection of Jesus.

We then went back to Uncle Joe´s where we had the biggest party yet. There was food and drinks galore, and every type of meat you could imagine. The party went on into the night with dancing, games and good times shared between family and friends.

I had a wonderful Easter and I hope you did as well.

***Let it be known I am not Catholic; I am Christian, so I don’t fully understand the Catholic religion and its practices. It’s something I need to read up on. However, one thing is clear between the two -- Jesus is the son of God and he died for our sins so that we may be saved. He was crucified unjustly on the cross to allow a way for us to know our heavenly father. Jesus did not stay dead; in 3 days he rose from the grave and conquered death in grace, strength and unyielding love. He love each and every one of us with a love I cannot fathom, a love so strong he was willing to die for us, a love that lives in us. Jesus is always there, all you have to do is knock, and he will answer. He loves you.