Semana Santa

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The week from Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) to Easter Sunday (Domingo de Gloria), known as SEMANA SANTA, in Colombia is a week of religious celebration and fervor for faithful Catholics. For others, it is a week of vacation.
During this week, schools are out and many people do not work. Some families travel to the coast, others plan activities closer to home.

It is also a time when Colombian television shows many classic religious and family shows -- The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, The Sound of Music, The Greatest Story Ever Told, etc. (Might I just add here that seeing the Sound of Music in Spanish, where the songs are in English is really strange).

Most families do not eat meat this week, so fish is available everywhere. I spent a week travelling from Boyacá to Ipiales (on the Ecuador boarder) during Semana Santa 14 years ago. It was amazing to see the celebrations in each city. But, I have never been much of a fish fan, so I ate a lot of rice and bread that week.

For adoptive families who are in Colombia, it is important to remember that courts close on Wednesday afternoon, and do not reopen until the following Monday.

Comments

Pilar said…
I wish we had semana santa here!
April 6, 2009 at 7:23 AM
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