Semana Santa in Mompox, Colombia

By -
In 1564, the city of Mompox was established. Located on the Magdalena River in the Department of Bolívar, Mompox is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it is most famous for its celebrations of Semana Santa (Holy Week). During this week, leading up to Easter, hundreds of Colombians flock to the city to take part in the celebrations.

The festivities start on the Thursday before Palm Sunday, when a procession of Nazarenos (Nazarenes) arrive, dressed in turquoise robes, at the Iglesia de la Imaculada Concepción. Once they arrive, they either throw stones or kick at the doors in order to be let inside. Once inside, their robes are blessed in a Catholic Mass. Then, the group proceeds to the Iglesia San Francisco.
The following morning at 4 am, there is a Mass held at the Iglesia Santo Domingo followed by rites at the Iglesia Santo Domingo and then at the Iglesia de la Imaculada Concepción.

Palm Sunday brings a reenactment of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. It starts at the Iglesia Santa Bárbara, where palms are blessed. Then a group proceeds to walk through the city en route to the Iglesia de la Imaculada Concepción. During the procession, the Nazarenos (Nazarenes), dressed in blue, carry images that represent Jesus on a donkey, the Virgin Mary, and the 12 apostles.

On Lunes Santo (Holy Monday), the images are moved in a similar procession, to La Iglesia San Francisco. There they remain until Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday).

On Miercoles Santo, is a day to visit cemetaries and visit family and friends that have died. It is often called Serenata a los Muertos.

On Jueves Santo at 12:00, a lone Nazareno with a trumpet plays a mournful song that announces the imminent death of Jesus Christ. His tune is followed by the sounding of a bell. At 6 pm another procession starts. The Nazarenos carry "los pasos" which are big images displaying a reenactment of the Last Supper, Judas’ kiss, Christ before the Roman Judge, Peter’s denial, the flagellation, the crowning of Christ, Jesus before Pilate, and Pilate washing his hands.
At midnight, the procession arrives at the Iglesia de San Francisco. Once again, stones, sticks and kicks are used until the three principal doors open. Here, the "robbers" join the crowd. They represent the 2 robbers that were on either side of Jesus at his Crucifixion. At 2 am on Viernes Santo (Holy Friday), the procession celebrates Mass.

Friday evening, there is yet another procession honoring the burial of Jesus and the pain of the mother Mary. This is followed by numerous celebrations of Mass.

Sábado de Gloria (Saturday of Glory) is a day of prayer and reflection and demonstration of religious fervor. Then, Domingo de Gloria (Easter Sunday), is a joyous celebration with Masses, Eucharist rites, and more processions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more