Articles of Interest

Semana Santa in Ayacucho

Semana Santa or Holy Week is a holiday of utmost importance in Peru, a country of majority Roman Catholic faith.  Celebrations vary across cities, some being more ornate and detailed than others.  In Ayacucho, also known as Huamanga, a small Andean city with 33 churches (residents rebelled against Spanish and Catholic domination so strongly during colonial times that the Spaniards kept building churches in the hopes of converting more locals), the celebrations span 10 days.  Young and old from all parts of society partake in this event. 

Locals express their faith and devotion to their religion through daily processions over 10 days, decorating the town with colourful flower rugs, or alfombras, ritual enactments, burning of incense, burning of fireworks and bonfires and chanting of melancholic songs.  Holy Wednesday represents the culmination in terms of religious intensity and unification of the society into one event, when a procession of an image of Jesus Nazarene dressed in purple carrying his cross is carried from the Plaza Major.  A dramatic conclusion takes place on Resurrection Sunday at 5am as bells toll and the doors to a candle lit Cathedral open to show the image of the Resurrected Christ and fireworks cover the sky over the Plaza Mayor. 

Following is the schedule of processions and various celebrations that take place over the ten days starting the Friday before Palm Sunday.

Friday (Viernes de Dolores) – Our Lady of Sorrows Procession.  A procession of Christ on the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows leaves from the Church of Magdalena.

Saturday (Sábado de Pasión) – A procession carrying a Christ decorated with vine leaves, the Señor de la Parra, moves towards the Pampa de San Agustin temple.  Some participants in the procession carry needles and spines as a way of sharing the pain of Christ.

Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) – Official beginning of Semana Santa – Celebrates the arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem.  A recreation of this scene has Jesus arriving in a donkey, walking on beds of flowers and being greeted by the town people with blessed palm leafs, leaves Iglesia Santa Teresa at 3pm and arriving at the Plaza Mayor.  Also on this day, a long flower bed or ‘alfombra’ is placed in the center of the Cathedral, where a priest sits in a hooded cape holding a black flag with a red cross on it.  The black represents the darkness that followed after Christ’s death and the red his spilled blood.

Monday – Various masses are celebrated and a small procession where only women are allowed to participate takes place in the Templo de la Buena Muerte.  Women in traditional dress make a short procession.

Tuesday – Various celebrations and masses in Catedral con la Canción de la Pasión, everyone takes confession in the afternoon and in the evening attends a procession of the Señor de la Sentencia (Christ Sentenced) in the Iglesia de la Amargura.

Wednesday (Meeting Day) – Mass in the Cathedral and Iglesia de Santa Clara.  A procession of Señor de Huamanga, Jesus Nazarene wearing a cape that has golden stitchings, walks towards the Plaza Major.  Other processions carrying images of Mary, Saint John and Veronica walk along different streets carrying candles, illuminating the town.  The meeting of Mary and Jesus Nazarene takes place in the Plaza, one of the most significant moments in the whole celebration. 

Thursday – A ceremony only for men takes place at Templo de la Compañía de Jesús

Friday – A day of mourning for Christ’s death is accompanied by a 3 hour sermon.  A procession takes place from Iglesia de Santo Domingo to Plaza Mayor in the afternoon.

Saturday of Glory - Misa de Vigilia Pascual en la Catedral followed by peregrination to Cerro Acuchimay where the sacred cross stands. 

At 5am on Resurrection Sunday, bells toll as the first sun rays come out.  A multitude of people has been waiting all night at the Plaza Mayor and at this time the Cathedral’s doors open to show hundreds of candles burning and an image of Christ Resurrected.  Fireworks light the sky over the Plaza Mayor culminating the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.  The final float procession: