Colext/Macondo
Cantina virtual de los COLombianos en el EXTerior
--------------------------------------------------
Monuments of the Past
Even if the Holy Week events, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
are commemorated almost universally, the way they are varies from country to
country, as I have had the opportunity to observe during my travels. Still
the Holy Week I remember with nostalgia is the one in my parish in Bogotá.
This city is in Colombia, which is a Catholic country; therefore Thursday,
Friday and Saturday are holidays. Schools and universities have a
full-week's vacation, and most businesses are closed, from Thursday through
Saturday. The movie theaters that are open, show only movies concerning the
life and death of Jesus Christ, and there are also plays and live
reenactments of His last days.
Since the beginning of Lent, most people start preparations for Holy Week.
Some prepare themselves spiritually by doing a little penance, like fasting
and abstaining from eating meat; others, especially those with means, plan
their vacations at the seacoast or at their haciendas in the countryside.
Nature seems to contribute to the celebration, as there is abundance of fish
in the rivers, therefore in the markets. I remember that my mother used to
buy salted bagre fish, which I munched raw, behind her back. I still like it
that way, only now I eat the kind they sell on Japanese markets, here in
Honolulu.
The ceremonies start on Palm Sunday, with a procession, which begins in
front of the Church, and continues along the main road for about six blocks,
to then return to the Church. During this procession everybody carries a
palm branch, which has been woven in an intricate pattern by women who sell
them on the Church steps.
In this procession, as well as in all others during the week, there are
floats with statues of the Virgin Mary and of Jesus. Several men who
volunteer for this function carry these floats. The palms are kept at home
through the year because they have been blessed. My mother kept them in a
trunk, along with the candles that also had been blessed when my brothers
received their First Communion, and with some other religious objects.
On Holy Thursday all radio stations start playing only classical and
religious music. This is a period of relaxation for the adults, but a
nuisance for the young people who are accustomed to celebrating holidays
with dances. On this day, the church services are very special because they
commemorate the Last Supper. Also, sometimes before noon, the tabernacle is
left empty and the Blessed Sacrament is carried through the church in
procession to a side chapel, which has been prepared for the occasion. This
is called a Monument, and if one visits seven of them in seven different
churches, one receives plenary indulgences. The word "monument" is also used
by Colombian men, when referring to exceptionally beautiful women, and what
happens is that Colombian women visit monuments while the suffering men
watch the "monuments" pass by. For many men that parade seems to be better
than classical music.
On Holy Friday, almost everybody dresses in black. The church services start
at about three in the afternoon, and continue until the evening. At six
o'clock, the priests are repeating Jesus' words "Eli; Eli, lama
sabachthani?" After these services there is a procession, with candles and
wooden rattles which make a mournful sound, replacing hat of the bells which
have been silenced.
On Holy Saturday the services are again held in the evening; it is the
Easter Vigil. On Sunday, the people go to church to celebrate Jesus Christ's
resurrection, but there are other ceremonies. The radio stations start
playing all kinds of music again, and in many homes young people start
organizing a little party, while the adults get mentally prepared for the
grueling blue Monday that loom so near.
Even though here in the United States there are not many ceremonies, I have
found that hose participating on those celebrations have as much piety --and
sometimes more-- as people in Colombia, and that is what really matters.
Rubby Angritt
Hum 310 683 Words
April, 1982
--------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
with UNSUBSCRIBE COLEXT as the BODY of the message.
Un archivo de colext puede encontrarse en:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
cortesia de Anibal Monsalve Salazar
