Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua: A Totally Unique Holy Week Event

Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

The Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, is the series of images (usually 14) showing Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, along with the related prayers.  During the period of Lent and, particularly, on Good Friday there are many Via Crucis processions in Latin American countries. Typically, stations portraying the stations will be set up along streets and pilgrims walk between stations, stopping at each for specific prayers and benedictions.  For those of you that are unfamiliar with this ritual, please click this link for more in-depth information- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_Cross

Granada, Nicaragua has a totally unique form of the Via Crucis that is performed on the water in small boats and know as Via Crucis Aquatic; it is the only place in Latin America where this is done.  This aquatic Viacrucis happens on Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), the largest lake in Central America and is occurs a few times in the week preceding Easter. Hotels and tourist information cannot tell you when they are because there is no set schedule for them.  I was advised to go and inquire at Guadalupe Church, which hosts processions, to find a time and possibly get a ticket.

Guadalupe Church, Granada Nicaragua

The day I went to Guadalupe church, I was lucky, because the office was open and I speak enough Spanish to explain what I was wanted.  I paid a nominal fee and was handed this ticket.

Via Crucis Aquatic ticket

As I later discovered, I had hit the jackpot without knowing it.  The ticket was for the Wednesday before Easter on the lead boat, the one carrying the holy image (imagen) of Jesus Nazareno.  Commercial tours that offer the Via Crucis Aquatic, put tourists in boats that follow the actual water-borne religious procession, but this little purple ticket placed me square in the midst of the procession on the lead boat. Most tourists, if they are lucky, find a boat from which to observe the procession; being a part of the procession, as I was, was  totally different.

You will notice that the time listed on the ticket was 6:30 am, which meant that I had to be at Guadalupe Church early Wednesday morning. From there the group, mostly congregation members, boarded a van to the lake and our boat.

In van, on the way to the Via Crucis Aquatic

Lake Nicaragua, Cocibolca, is a huge body of water with an outlet to the Atlantic
Granada is located on its shore and in it are 365 small islands (Islets of Granada) located just southeast of the city of Granada; many of them are inhabited either on a full-time or part-time vacation basis. Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America.

Cocibolca, (Lake Nicaragua), Granada Nicaragua

A band that would play during the Viacrucis procession was already loaded on board and everyone was handed a life jacket for the duration of the nearly 6 hour journey, that would include no bathroom breaks!

Boat readied for Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Band instruments on board boat for Via Crucis Aquatic procession, Granada Nicaragua

Below, other boats are loading passengers before taking their place in the procession.

Boats loading for Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Because ours was the lead boat, the boat carrying the religious image, members of the clergy came on board to conduct the service.

Clergy on board lead boat, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

The boat took off without a statue and at the first island stop, a statue of Jesus Nazareno, the imagen or image referred to on my ticket, was taken from a small chapel where it had been and loaded onto the front of our boat to lead the procession and remain there until the Viacrucis was over hours later. In Latin America significant statues are sometimes lent among churches in a kind of solemn interchange.

Image of Jesus Nazareno being loaded onto Via Crucis Aquatic boat,  Granada Nicaragua

Jesus Nazarene aboard Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Here is a photo of me on the boat as the event gets underway; how I managed to have the luck to get on this boat I still do not know.

Author aboard in Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

The boats in the procession made 14 stops, one for each of the stations of the Cross, each time pulling up at another of the tiny islands, the isletas, that dot Lake Nicaragua.  At each stop, after the prayers,  people offered flowers and fruit to image of Jesus. These offerings were absolutely beautiful and rapidly filled the boat's floor.

Offerings, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

The band played frequently throughout the event, often when approaching or leaving a station.  Their music consisted of the funeral marches typical of the area.  These, during the colonization of Latin America, were adapted to military bands that accompanied funerals and so in addition to being sombre have a military feeling as well. They are of a specific musical genre having initially been written by composers with very little musical training.  

Band playing during Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

There were two kinds of boats out on Cocibolca that day, boats participating in the procession and sight-seeing boats following the processional boats. Below are some of the many tour boats, since the event is a popular one for tourists. Observing the procession and being a part of it are two entirely different things.

Tourist Boats during Via Crucis Aquatic, Lake Nicaragua

Each Station of the Cross had been carefully decorated by the inhabitants of the various islands. 

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada NIcaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Station of the Cross, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

As the procession went along the boat became more and more laden with the offerings that were given by the islanders at each stop.  Some people donated money to the church and there was a designated person onboard to collect it. At the end of the Via Crucis some of the fruit was sold to people on the boat who wanted it and some remained for the church and clergy and to be distributed among the needy.

Flower Offering, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Fruit Offering, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Fruit Offering, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Floral Offering, Via Crucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

At the Via Crucis' end, the statue of Jesus was removed from the boat, to be returned 
to its "home" church in the city.

Jesus Nazareno about to be removed from Via Crucis  Aquatic boat, Granada Nicaragua

Reflections:

All Via Crucis are solemn devotional events, but Granada's Via Crucis Aquatic is more than just that.  It is not only an opportunity for personal devotion for participants, but an celebration that unites Granada and its outlying islands, giving the community a chance to come together in an activity that has meaning for all.  It is a solemn celebration, but also one with much beauty and its own sort of joy. Money is raised for the church and some of the offerings are donated to the needy.   

The Via Crucis Aquatic is a unique experience, and a local mainstay of Holy Week in Granada.  It is offered as a highlight on all tours to the area, even though tourists are advised that there is a chance one may not be available on the day or days they are there.

I plan on making a video of the Via Crucis Aquatic in the near-future.

Good Friday Procession: An Invisible Participant

Semana Santa, Holy Week, is the final week of the church's observance of Lent, the 

40 day (more or less) penitential period of the church leading up to Easter.  In Mexico and all of Latin America, Semana Santa is a major event, marked by religious processions and ritual.  The Holy Week processions of certain places are famous, particularly the world-famous processions of Antigua, Guatemala.  Please follow the links below to see previous posts and videos of some of these:
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2015/04/video-holy-saturday-procession.html   
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2015/04/videos-of-holy-week-in-latin-america.html

As you can see from the videos, processional figures and floats are elaborate and their imagery rich.  The major actors from the biblical accounts of the last week of Jesus' earthly life are represented in beautiful and costly images, as in this float bearing Jesus carrying his cross    

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However there is one curious exception you will see on Holy Friday in Antigua. In the photos below we see a procession forming at the magnificent early 18th century church of San Francisco el Grande.  There are the incense and standard bearers and some of the clergy in front of the church's magnificent baroque façade.

Good Friday procession, San Francisco church, Antigua Guatemala

Good Friday procession, San Francisco church, Antigua Guatemala

A red velvet canopy emerges carried by four men in the traditional hoods that conceal their faces and identities.  There is no image visible under this canopy and it remains empty to our eyes throughout the long procession.  Yet, it leads the procession.

Good Friday procession, San Francisco Church, Antigua Guatemala

The Holy Spirit in procession,  Good Friday procession, Antigua Guatemala

Although the canopy looks empty, to the eyes of faithful believers it is not.
The occupant is the Holy Spirit, the spiritual force that breathed life into being and continues to support creation.  In Christian theology, the Holy Spirit, along with God the Father and Jesus, is one part of the Trinity, a concept that was the end of long theological debate centuries ago. 

In Latin American religious art, the Holy Spirit is typically represented as a bird. This can be seen in both Mexican depictions of the Trinity below.

Holy Trinity, Merida Cathedral, Merida MX

Trinity, Itzimna Church, Merida MX

Another typical Latin American representation of the Trinity is as one of three actual persons, as in this New Mexican santo.

Santo of Holy Trinity by Jose Maria Benavides, New Mexico

Yet, in the Antigua procession, there is no image.  This representation of the Holy Spirit without any image is not seen in many (if any other) Holy Week processions where the focus is on Jesus, Mary, St. John and other central participants in the biblical accounts of the final week of Jesus' earthly life.  It is something unique in the Latin American world, although perhaps there are precedents in Spain where the processions have a longer history, stemming from medieval times.

A Reunion, Oaxaca-Style

Dresses typical of Tehuantepec

The women in these beautiful traditional dresses are not out for a casual stroll.  They are part of the reunion of a group from Salina Cruz, a city in the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region of the State of Oaxaca.   

A reunion in the US may mean a cook-out or a banquet, but in Oaxaca it means a procession, the mainstay of Oaxacan cultural heritage.  There are some processions in Oaxaca that are not religious in nature, but in traditional Mexican life there is little that is purely secular.  The spiritual and material manage to intertwine and this was the case with the reunion.  This was a gathering of  members of a particular religious confraternity, a very basic denominator of social life in many Latin American Communities; some of them happened to be actual blood relatives, as well. 

 Reunion Procession, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca MX

Reunion Procession, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca MX

  Some of the group no longer lived in Salina Cruz, but in Oaxaca itself, as in the group below.

Reunion Procession, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, MX

Like many processions in Oaxaca city, this one began at the church of Santo Domingo,

Reunion Procession in front of Santo Domingo church, Oaxaca MX

and following a traditional processional route, ended at the Oaxaca Cathedral, below.

Oaxaca Cathedral, Oaxaca MX

The fact that the reunion took the form of a religious procession did not rule out its 
having a queen or two, as the lovely young women below.

Salina Cruz Procession Queen, Oaxaca MX

Salina Cruz Procession Queen, Oaxaca MX

Salina Cruz Procession Queens and Escorts

The colorful and elaborate embroidery of the dresses from Tehuantepec puts them among Mexico's most beautiful traditional costumes.  The Tehuana dress was worn and made famous by artist Frida Kahlo. Below are some examples of the stunning dress and the elaborate earrings that are worn with it.

Dresses from Tehuantepec

Woman in tradional Tehuana costume

Tehuana dresses

Elaborate Earring typical of Tehuantepec

Elaborate Earring ttypical of Tehuantepec

Girls in Tehuana dresses

               

The Race for Guadalupe

Guadalupe Pilgrim, Tulum, Quintana Roo, MX

This may look like someone in a road-race, but actually it is a man on a religious pilgrimage, a pilgrimage for the Virgin of Guadalupe.  In many ways is it a race, or a mad scramble, because participants must reach their destination by 11 pm the night of December 11 for the celebration that begins the December 12 Feast Day of Guadalupe.

Pilgrims' Car, Tulum, Quintana Roo, MX

For people dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's Patron Saint, celebrating her December 12 feast day includes some sort of pilgrimage.  The Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City is the ultimate pilgrimage destination, but Mexico is a big place and not everyone can get there.  Other areas have significant Guadalupe shrines, such as the Guadalupe Church in San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas and people will travel long distances, sometimes on foot, to reach them.

The towns of the states of Quintana Roo and Yucatan on the Yucatan Peninsula are very distant from the central Mexican shrines but other pilgrimage traditions for Guadalupe's Feast Day have grown up and are equally as compelling.

The car in the photo above is one of many on the road during the nine-day period that marks the celebration of Guadalupe.  In Mexico, most major saint's days are celebrated for a period of time before the actual day.  In Yucatan, the pilgrim's objective is to return to their home church by 11 pm on December 11,  At this time mariachi-led church celebration starts  that culminates in all singing  a special version of "Las Mañanitas", the traditional Mexican birthday song, to our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Typically, people undertake pigrimages because they have prayed to the Virgin of Guadalupe for some favor and received it.  The original prayer included a promesa, a vow, to Guadalupe that they would undertake a pilgrimmage if their petition were granted.

Pilgrims' Van, Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrims' Car, Quintana Roo, MX

Signs on the cars show beginning of the journey on the top and the destination on the bottom. Typically the origin is where the people are working and the destination is where they originated. Most small pueblos have a church dedicated to Guadalupe, which becomes a sort of shrine to the saint.


There is a lot of excitement and frenetic energy in the Yucatan during these days, as pilgrims struggle to reach their goal.  Typically, they do not ride in the cars which are there for pilgrims'  support and breaks,  but run along the highways often bare-footed.

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Guadalupe Pilgrim Group, near Tulum, Quintana Roo, MX

Some go the distance on bicycle with or without a support vehicle, carrying a heavy statue of Guadalupe on their backs.

Guadalupe Pilgrim on bicycle, Quintana Roo, MX

This bicycle was traveling from Cancun to Tixpehual, Yucatan, a distance of 296 
kilometers, a difficult journey for this kind of vehicle.

Pilgrims' Bicycle, Valladolid, Yucatan, MX

It is difficult to convey the excitement of the day of December 11, the day when pilgrims are making their final push to the destinations.  Roads are full of all sorts of vehicles bearing images of Guadalupe and each is really a shrine to the saint.

Cars in Pilgrimage Procession, Yucatan, MX

Pilgrim Truck, Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrim's Vehicle, Valladolid, Yucatan, MX

After nightfall, there is extra intensity since people are nearing their destinations and making the final push.  On the Coba-Tulum road, a primary artery between the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo where many pilgrims are headed, way stations have been set up for the support of pilgrims where food and drink are offered free of charge.  Everyone needs to be at their destination well-before the 11 pm service.

Pilgrims on the Coba-Tulum Road, Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrims stopping along Coba-Tulum Road, Quintana Roo, MX

Guadalupe Altar at way-station, Macario Gomez Quintana Roo, MX

Most reach their destinations with some time to spare.  Here, in Akumal Quintana Roo, pilgrims are waiting to line up for the procession to the church, which begins around 10:45.

Pilgrim's Car, Akumal Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrim's bicycle, Akumal Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrims waiting for processions to begin, Akumal, Quintana Roo, MX

Pilgrim's car decorated for procession, Akumal, MX

The pueblo's population is waiting at the church to welcome the returning pilgrims. They are honored and acknowledged as they enter the church carrying their personal Guadalupe images that they have carried the long distance.

Outside Guadalupe Church, Akumal MX

PIlgrims enterring Guadalupe Church, Akumal MX

During evening service, Akumal MX

Each pilgrim presents flowers to the church's Guadalupe statue who, in the eyes of the pilgrims and the congregation, is more than just a mere image with a reality of her own.  Please click the photo to enlarge it and see the beautiful accumulation of flowers and candles.

Guadalupe Church, Akumal MX

Midnight ushers in the new day of Guadalupe and the mariachis lead the congregation in "Las Mañanitas", the Mexican birthday song. That night there is no mass for Guadalupe, that waits for the next day.  That night is a fiesta full of joy and song for their beloved Lady of Guadalupe.

Mariachi Band leading service, Guadalupe Church, Akumal MX

 For more information about Guadalupe celebrations in the Yucatan please click this link. https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2017/02/guadalupe-in-paradise.html

The Truth About Thanksgiving Day

Turkeys at Market, Ocotlan Oaxaca MX

These Mexican turkeys are not destined for anyone's Thanksgiving table, but Spain and Colonial Mexico did play a roundabout role in the US's first Thanksgiving. There is the myth of Thanksgiving that we all learned in grade school and then there is the truth.
To read about it, click the link below. You will be surprised.
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2015/12/colonial-spain-and-first-thanksgiving.html