The parade for Holy Thursday advancing slowly with fervor.

    After the uproar of Carnaval comes the Holy Week or 'Semana Santa' in April with the traditional processions. The week begins with the entrance of the Seņor de Ramos mounted on a burro. This entrance initiates the famous days of Holy Week with the central days being Holy Thursday and Friday and the Sunday Resurrection. Each day has different processions of the various churches for the congregated masses of national and international visitors; as it is in our city - International Capitol of Friendship.

Carpets (of flowers and colored woodchips) in Avenida Luzuriaga near the Plaza de Armas.

    In all parts of the city people create carpets made from different flowers, such as Flor de Retama, and colored woodchips. These carpets are made in the main streets (shut to traffic) where the parades pass and consist of images related to scenes of the life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ. Holy Thursday is famous for the "Huaraqui" (dawn), in which all the faithful have passed the night contemplating the prisoner of Pilate, surrounded by the judges commonly called "Chunchus". The faithful, people from the country, and the city pass the entire night singing religious odes, waiting until three in the morning when the procession starts. All of the memories are sad and the songs are more laments to the pain of Jesus.

Christ in the procession on Holy Thursday.

    Holy Friday is the most crowded and celebrated of the days, which is also celebrated at a national level. The scene of Jesus carrying the cross is re-enacted, with the three falls, and finishing with tears as is traditional.

The scene of the three falls with the cross.

    Resurrection Sunday, or Easter, there is a solemn mass held in the Plaza de Armas. When Jesus enters with the Virgen the joy begins and follows with the waving of the palms, fireworks, and rockets. The virgin then takes the Veil of Mouring and the Heart of Gold pierced seven times and exits. All of the people are happy and satisfied for the completed resurrection.

An example of the carpets in Av Luzriaga.

    As with our other festivals of religion, we conserve these customs generation after generation.

The Virgin in the procession for Holy Thursday.

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