In Honduras, the largest influx of tourists occurs during Holy Week (La Semana Santa), which is the most observed holiday throughout the year. Semana Santa means several days of devout celebration, including extravagant parades with costumed participants marching through the streets and carrying huge floats with Jesus on the cross. The pinnacle of the passions always falls on Good Friday, when some cities also ornate their streets with authentic natural carpets, called Alfombras. Traditional Easter foods complement the festivities.
Easter foods
On Good Friday, people cook soups made from dried salted fish and Sopa de Capirotadas with cheese dumplings. Sweet ring-shaped pastry Rosquillas En Miel and steaming Nacatamales are also served on this day. After a meal, everybody usually goes to see a procession dedicated to crucifixion. As for Easter Sunday, the traditional foods include Sopa de Mondongo, which is a cow intestine soup, and dishes prepared with "miel" (honey).
Alfombras (Street Carpets) in Comayagua & Tegucigalpa
The unique tradition in Honduras is decorating streets with colored sand to make pictures of Jesus. These masterpieces are called "Alfombras," meaning carpets. One of the best places to see such flamboyant canvases is Comayagua, where each year, the main street is decorated with colored paths of chalk, rice, and flower petals depicting Biblical figures and events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Another destination, famed for its Alfombras, is Tegucigalpa, namely Avenida Cervantes. The high school and university students take to the street to transform the pavements into splendid artwork on Friday morning. Watching the process is a great experience, equal to seeing a solemn street procession here in the late afternoon.
Good Friday
For the whole of Friday, the street carpets remain untouched. Police stay in the streets to prevent any possible act of vandalism. At some time around sunset, village communities hold Easter processions, reenacting the events according to Scripture. The main characters feature Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, San Pedro, San Andres, Santa Maria Magdalena, Santa Ana, and La Dolorosa. All these saints move across the streets to the slow, methodical sounds of a bass drum, making for an extra pious and reverent atmosphere.
Easter Sunday
Good Friday, packed with celebrations, sometimes seems to outshine Easter Sunday festivities in Honduras. Still, you can count on multiple song and dance performances praising the Resurrection across diverse venues throughout the country. Also, you can attend an Easter Sunday Mass, which is the most pompous occasion in every parish. Consider the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Comayagua or the Cathedral of St. Michael Archangel if you plan your Easter holiday in Tegucigalpa.
If you wish to experience this week-long tapestry of emotions, colors, flavors, and spirituality, plan your visit ahead and book your stay in advance. You might opt for the mentioned above Comayagua and Tegucigalpa for the ultimate adventure with authentic Alfombras, or go off the beaten track and discover Easter in a little known pueblo (village).
