Holy Week
The first one of the 8 most famous festivals in El Salvador that Toplist would like to introduce to you is Holy Week. Holy Week is the most important holiday in Central America. It is known as Semana Santa in Spanish-speaking communities and is widely celebrated in Latin America. It is a religious festival that takes place during the Easter season. It usually starts the week before Easter (Palm Sunday) and lasts until Easter Sunday. The Easter season commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the country's patron saint.
On Good Friday, two carnival-like processions kick off the festival. The first is held in the morning to represent Jesus' walk to Golgotha, while the second is held in the evening after teenagers have created 'alfrombras.' Alfrombras are images of the events surrounding Jesus Christ's death and resurrection created on the streets' floors with colorful salt and sawdust. During the procession, people walk on these images. During the procession, candles represent light, wooden representations of what happened around the time of Christ's death (stations of the cross), and images of Christ on the cross are also carried. The second procession commemorates Jesus Christ's crucifixion. On Saturday, there is a Vigil mass, and the fire is kept burning in the hope that Christ will rise again. The festival concludes on Easter Sunday, known as Pascua, with a procession and mass to commemorate Jesus Christ's resurrection.
People fast, pray, give alms, and avoid foods containing blood, such as meat, during Lent (the Holy Month of Catholics), known as Cuaresma in Spanish. Instead, seafood such as fish and prawns is consumed. While in El Salvador, try seafood soups, hot corn-flour tortillas, and honey-sweetened French toast known as Torejas. Following the Sunday mass, a feast is usually held in some homes. Because Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, it is permissible to eat meat during this feast.
Holy Week is celebrated in many cities throughout El Salvador, but Izalco and Sonsonate go above and beyond. The procession begins in Izalco, a town south of San Salvador, at the 16th century Nuestra Seora de la Asuncion Church. Images of religious icons are lifted in an incense cloud at the church. During the festival, the streets of Sonsonate, El Salvador's fourth-largest city, are decorated with flower carpets and colorful sawdust. In addition to the procession, the locals also perform performance arts. As a result, it is a religious festival with a touch of culture.
It is not necessary to be religious to enjoy this festival. On Good Friday, you can join the teenagers in making the Alfrombras. After the mass on Sunday, you can visit El Salvador's famous beaches and surf spots. So, if you're considering where to spend your next Easter vacation, the Holy Week festival in El Salvador should be at the top of your list.
Takes place: March or April
