Semana Santa in Honduras
Comayagua, Honduras
Colorful handcrafted carpets made of sand, seeds, and sawdust (Alformbras). Religious parades of painted saints on platforms (pasos) with the backdrop of picturesque cathedrals. You might assume these sights come from Guatemala or Spain, which can be true. However, there are other places to find visually stunning cultural practices surrounding Semana Santa. For me, it is Honduras.
Semana Santa's English translation is Holy Week. The holiday is celebrated across many Catholic countries commemorating Easter customs. In Honduras, people take off work to enjoy leisure on the beach, in the mountains, or in picturesque towns to appreciate religious traditions. In my first Semana Santa in Honduras, I decided to drive to Comayagua to see and partake in the beautiful Catholic traditions.
Comayagua has always been a destination that I wanted to visit. It is a beautiful colonial town with the oldest clock in the Americas, dating back to 1586. As a history nerd, I wanted to see this old mechanical clock and check it off my bucket list of things to do while living in Honduras. Comayagua is also a religious center in Honduras. Having seen various Buddhist temples and traditions in Korea (where I lived before moving to Honduras), I was ready to dive into the visual beauty of Catholicism in Central America. My trip started where I worked and lived for a year, San Pedro Sula. I rented a car and enjoyed the incredible 3-hour drive on CA-5, a modern smooth road that contrasts the bumpy paths in many parts of the country. The route should only take 2 1/2 hours, but I stopped a few times. First, at Lago de Yajoa for fresh cut mango and then near Santa Cruz to buy honey from highway vendors. If you drive this path, have some cash on you because the local communities on the way will sell fresh seasonal fruit and snacks. Also, a few toll booths charge 22 Lempiras ($1).
I was shocked after I passed Lago de Yajoa to find the landscape completely changed. All of a sudden, the mountains became rougher. Cortes' lush rolling hills transformed into dry mountain ranges that reminded me of Southern California, where I was born. I should not have been shocked, as it is the dry season in Honduras. When going west, things get drier, windier, and less hot. Upon arriving at Comayagua, I was taken by its beautiful town center, with The Church of Immaculate Conception grabbing my attention. The cathedral also holds the oldest clock in the Americas. I arrived Thursday just in time to see artists preparing the Sandust Rugs and Stations called Alformbras. The Alfombras take all night to complete and, as tradition goes, are trampled on the following morning, sometimes moments after completion.
A walk around Comayagua's plaza brought beautiful sights, which included music, street food, and artists creating Alformbras. Passing along the crowded streets were a lot of families on holiday and parades of chanting congregants on the way to Mass. It was a special Semana Santa because it was the 60th anniversary of Alfombras in Comayagua, though the tradition of these carpets dates back to pre-Colonial times. After enjoying the views and eating great pupusas, I visited my hotel. I stayed about a mile from the city center and wondered about the artists working on the Alformbras. So, I walked up the stairs that led to a roof with a wire hanger holding a knobless door opened with the words "cierra la puerta" written. My curiosity opened the door to find towels drying and a perfect spot to send my drone to the plaza.
At night I saw some fantastic views on my drone. The narrow streets were illuminated with light as hundreds of people were creating the Alfombras. The outlines of the colors were shocking, each telling a story with Catholic symbolism, Honduran culture, or Comayagua history. My night ended, and I set my alarm to 6 am to see if the carpets were still being made. They were. At 6:30 am, I saw from the sky that the artists were still working. I felt nervous knowing that hundreds of people would be ceremonially trampling these beautiful tapestries in the following hours.
After a typical Honduran breakfast, I saw the completed Alfombras in person. Already half of the carpets were trampled on from a morning procession, but I was fortunate enough to see the following one. What transpired was a colorful display of men in robes holding Pasos, traditional displays typically depicting the Virgin Mary or the Passion of Christ. Groups of around 12 men had the first Pasos, followed by about 100 observers on their way to Mass. The observers chanted songs following the Pasos into The Church of Immaculate Conception.
Walking around and taking in the many beautiful Alfombras, I heard a live band playing ominous music. To my amazement, it was a giant Paso with approximately 60 men in white robes, hooded in maroon. These men were members of hermandades (brotherhoods) dedicated to honoring Christ's depiction on the Paseo. On top of the Paso were colorful sculptures of Armegedan from the Book of Revelations. In the middle was Jesus holding a cross on the way to be crucified. Behind this phenomenon was a live band playing music. Then, slowly swaying, they marched straight to the Alfombras, stomping as much as possible on the beautiful carpets. Then, in a flash, all of the Alfombras were gone.
Comayagua is a beautiful town that shows Honduras' lovely culture, people, and visuals. My first Semana Santa in Honduras was memorable, to say the least. I encourage anyone to visit during this time of the year. Feliz Semana Santa, Honduras! And to everyone else, explore responsibly.
By: Rainier Lee
