Easter
The most important celebration of the year in Holbox
Easter in Mexico: Semana Santa and Pascua
Easter is probably the most important celebration of the year in Mexico and lasts for two weeks. The first week is called Semana Santa (Holy Week) and lasts from Palm Sunday to the following Saturday.
The second week is called Pascua (=Easter) and lasts from Easter Sunday to the following Saturday. During these two weeks, many stores and businesses throughout Mexico are closed and school children and students are on vacation. The next Easter in Mexico will be from April 12 to April 27, 2025.
Predominantly Catholic, Mexicans use the holidays not only for religious purposes, but also to visit relatives and friends and to spend a few days at the beaches, where they vacation and celebrate fiestas. Due to the massive influx of tourists and local visitors, Holbox Island is fully booked several weeks before Easter, and accommodation prices rise significantly due to the high demand.
The Schedule of Easter Festivities
During Semana Santa, which begins on Palm Sunday, the streets are decorated with garlands and there are numerous Christian processions, such as the consecration of the palms, and church services to proclaim the Passion of Christ.
On Maundy Thursday, the altars in the churches are covered with dark cloths and the statues of the saints are veiled. Bells are not rung until Easter Sunday, and churches throughout Mexico are visited to rid oneself of sins.
On the following Good Friday, more processions and passion plays take place, re-enacting historical events such as the Last Supper or the Passion of Christ.
While in many places in Mexico it is customary to hang and burn papier-mâché Judas figures on Holy Saturday, this ritual is not practiced in Holbox. For children, however, there is a modified version called piñatas. These are small papier-mâché figures filled with candy that are hung from a rope in the main square of Holbox. Then the children beat them with a stick until they burst open and the candy falls out.
On Easter Sunday, the celebrations reach their climax. In the churches, all the vestments are removed and the resurrection of Christ is celebrated. Throughout the town, stands are set up along the streets offering food and drink, games for children, and lotteries for adults. And, as is customary at Mexican fiestas, people eat, drink, and dance all night to loud music.
Traditional Easter Dishes
A typical dish that is very common in Mexico at Easter is called Capirotada. It is a kind of bread pudding made of toasted bread with sugar syrup and nuts, cinnamon sticks and raisins. The dish has a religious origin and is said to symbolize the body of Christ. The raisins represent the nails with which Jesus was nailed to the cross and the cinnamon sticks stand for the wood from which the cross was made.
If you want to make your own delicious Capirotada, Yvette has a recommended recipe. The ingredients are readily available and the preparation is quick and easy.
By the way, unlike in many countries, painting, hiding and searching for Easter eggs is not common in Mexico, nor is the Easter Bunny and the customs derived from it.
Dates for Easter
Easter has different dates every year, due to the peculiar way of calculating the date of Easter based on the phases of the moon. If you want to take these holidays into account during your vacation on Holbox Island, here are the dates to keep in mind:
More about events in Holbox and what to expect:
