It is different, just different. That is what I can say about traditions and activities around holidays here. This past week we experienced some of that “different” as we became more familiar with Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Masatepe. We had become familiar with the parades and fireworks in Granada, and here it is substituted with chains, professions of faith and pork rinds.
The original tradition has to do with Judas and Jesus being taken through the city in chains in order to remember the events of the Passion Week. Currently the celebration consists of youth- mostly boys, dressed in skirts and shirts, wearing masks and bright, crepe paper hats, and dragging chains. Men dressed in raincoats are caught in the chains as they processed from the church to the cemetery. Few people could say how this originated, but it seemed to be some rite of passage in the community.
Friday afternoon, about 200 people walked somberly through the streets, with a loud brass band playing, carrying a large float of Jesus on the cross, a statute of the pope, a statute of Mary, and a statute of who I think was another saint. We live on a main road, so we get to see the many processions.
That evening we thought we were going to a Good Friday Service at the church where I teach during the week. When we arrived we found out that it was actually a “welcome home” for young people who had been on a retreat for the week. We find ourselves in this situation often- only getting part of the story. Some of it is what is lost in translation, and some of it is that rarely are all the details shared. It is not like the US where we get and give “who, what, when, where, and how?” as part of an invitation. We go with the flow much more here.
Despite the evening being unexpected, we enjoyed being a part of their celebration. We were able to see them dance, sing, do drama, skits, and finally see 10 young people give their lives to Christ! It truly made it a good Friday!
Sunday they had a special service in the morning including lunch and baptism. Normally church is in the evening here; either Saturday or Sunday. We came on time, 9AM, which is really early because people continue to show up for the next several hours. The preaching rarely starts before 10:30.
This morning the music was extremely loud. I thought that maybe the feeling of my ears vibrating was due to the place I was sitting in the sanctuary. But the reality was that Hannah, who lives five blocks away could hear the music clearly when she walked out the door of her house. I don’t think I will ever get use to this.
Stephen had gone out in search of water and when he returned we went outside until music was finished. This was not out of place at all since roaming around during the service in normal.
The preacher was equally loud, and I kept wishing he would take a breath so my ears could have a rest. He spoke so fast that I could not pick up very much Spanish. I was thankful when I was asked to help with the meal that was being prepared for after the service. Listen to loud, rapid Spanish, not easy. Help prepare a meal, I can do that!
So the main thing about the meal is that it centered around a very large pig that had been killed for the occasion. He showed up in many different forms, but what I got to help with was truly unique to me.
Dressed in my Sunday best, and alongside the pastor’s wife and Hannah, we got to break large pieces of fried pork skin into smaller pieces so that they could go with the bean soup. The rinds filled the 18 liter plastic container; the kind we use to ship things down to Nicaragua. Other women who were helping would come by to steal a piece now and then. Both of my helper had to eventually bow out because of cuts from the fried skins.
This was not my usual Easter event, but it was fun to be a part of the festivities. We watched the baptisms and then headed home to enjoyed our traditional American Easter dinner. We watched a video about Israel and relived our tour last summer, and enjoyed a cake that a friend made for us. Sometimes it is nice to be a part of familiar traditions.
PS: Friends, we have been very disconnected because of our unsettledness over the past two months. We did move into a house a few weeks ago, and we should have internet this weekend in our house. We have been using it at work since we arrived but it has not consistently reliable. We hope things settle out soon so we can be in better contact.
