Easter in San Miguel de Allende
The Holy Week celebrations in the beautifully-preserved colonial town of San Miguel de Allende involve processions of Roman centurions, the blowing up of a papier-maché Judas and a dramatic rendering of Christ's suffering on the Cross.
Activities commence two Sundays before Easter, when the beloved statue of a bleeding Jesus is carried (amidst fireworks and carpets of flowers) from the town of Atotonilco, four miles away. El Señor de la Columna, as he's known, is the focus of many parades during the fortnight as he is moved from church to church around the town.
Parades take place daily, so look out for the dances of the Concheros, indigenous dancers who wear incredible costumes and perform regularly in the town's municipal gardens.
On Palm Sunday there is a big mass in the church in the main square, but the best day to visit if you cannot find somewhere to stay in the town has to be Good Friday. On this day every church in town organises a procession and there is an often-filmed pageant in the Jardin where a real-life Jesus figure drags his Cross, followed by the mourning Mary Magdalen and the Saints and flanked by Roman centurions. The great moment of the pageant is when the statue of the Virgin Mary nods (how, we don't know).
After the procession around the Jardin, things calm down before a moving spectacle takes over the town at dusk. All the locals dress in black and carry statues through the streets in total silence except for the dolorous beat of the drums, to remember the suffering of Jesus.
The Holy Week celebrations culminate with a bang during the Firing of the Judases on Easter Sunday. Huge papier-maché figures of hated politicians, devilish historical figures and the betrayer of Jesus himself, Judas Iscariot, are summarily blown up in a crescendo of firecrackers in the Jardin of the town.
The final parade takes place on the Wednesday after Easter Sunday, when El Señor de la Columna is returned to his resting place in Atotonilco.
Related Information
| Town Information: | San Miguel de Allende |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | |
| A beautifully preserved colonial town. | |
| Directions: | Located 82km east of Guanajuato, the state capital. |
| Name: | San Miguel de Allende Tourist Office |
|---|---|
| Location: | San Miguel de Allende |
| Address: | Plaza Principal, 8, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico |
| Email: | informes@sanmigueldeallende.gob.mex |
| Phone: | +52 (0) 415 152 1747 |
| Name: | Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR) |
| Location: | Mexico |
| Address: | 22nd Floor, Insurgentes Sur 800, Colonia del Valle, 03100 México DF, Mexico |
| Phone: | +52 5 687 2697 or +52 250 01 23 01 53 (travel hotline) |
| Fax: | +52 5 687 5052 |
| Name: | Mexico Tourist Office |
| Location: | Mexico |
| Address: | 22nd Floor, Insurgentes sur 800, Colonia del Valle, 03100 Mexico DF, Mexico |
| Email: | info@mexicotravel.co.uk |
| Phone: | +52 (01) 5 687 0567 or +44 (0) 20 7488 9392 (UK) |
| Fax: | +52 (01) 5 687 0568 |
