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Sunday 04 June, 2023
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“Once you have lived in New York and made it your home, no place else is good enough.”
―  John Steinbeck,
American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner 

Home Life

100+ Awesome Countries That Celebrate The Holy Week – Your Best Guide

A Glance at the Unique Holy Week Traditions from over 100 Countries Around the Globe

by NYartlifeMarketing
April 11, 2023
in Art, Events, Latest, Life, New(s) York, Social, Theater, Travel, United States, World
0
Celebrate the Holy Week

Holy week church service in Lorca Church, Spain [Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay]

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Introduction

Getting an accurate estimate of how many countries worldwide celebrate the holy week traditions can be daunting. Yes, looking back at the numbers is difficult as to how is holy week celebrated varies by region and culture. 

However, here is a guide from New York Art Life. Some estimates of around 100 countries worldwide may have observed their kind of traditional Holy Week event

Read on for more various holy week traditions and customs that have been celebrated in 2023.

The Resurrection Day or Easter traditions and other rituals of the holy week are honored as special times, especially for Catholic Christians.

100 Countries Worldwide that Celebrate the Holy Week Traditions

Take a look at what countries celebrate Holy Week and their observance of the Holy Week rituals and traditions. These countries have a unique passion week around the world this year and provide you with what to expect for holy week 2024.

  1. Mexico
  2. Guatemala
  3. Colombia
  4. Brazil
  5. Peru
  6. Venezuela
  7. Argentina
  8. Ecuador
  9. Chile
  10. Spain
  11. Italy
  12. Portugal
  13. France
  14. Austria
  15. Germany
  16. Netherlands
  17. Switzerland
  18. United Kingdom
  19. Ireland
  20. Philippines
  21. Belize 
  22. Nicaragua
  23. Panama
  24. Honduras
  25. Costa Rica
  26. El Salvador
  27. Puerto Rico
  28. Cuba
  29. Bolivia 
  30. Poland 
  31. Hungary 
  32. Greece 
  33. Turkey 
  34. Lebanon 
  35. Syria 
  36. Israel 
  37. Jordan 
  38. Egypt 
  39. South Korea 
  40. United States 
  41. Canada 
  42. Australia 
  43. New Zealand
  44. Japan 
  45. China 
  46. India 
  47. Nepal 
  48. South Africa 
  49. Mauritius 
  50. Kenya 
  51. Tanzania 
  52. Zimbabwe 
  53. Uganda
  54. Cameroon 
  55. Senegal 
  56. Ghana 
  57. Nigeria 
  58. Liberia 
  59. Ethiopia 
  60. Angola 
  61. Mozambique 
  62. Madagascar 
  63. Malawi 
  64. Zambia 
  65. Namibia 
  66. Botswana 
  67. Lesotho 
  68. Swaziland 
  69. Rwanda 
  70. Burundi 
  71. Thailand 
  72. Cambodia 
  73. Vietnam
  74. Indonesia 
  75. Papua New Guinea 
  76. Malaysia 
  77. Singapore 
  78. Brunei 
  79. Bangladesh 
  80. Myanmar 
  81. Laos 
  82. Bhutan 
  83. India 
  84. Hong Kong 
  85. Macau 
  86. Taiwan 
  87. Sri Lanka 
  88. Maldives
  89. Jamaica 
  90. Haiti 
  91. Suriname 
  92. Trinidad and Tobago 
  93. Guyana 
  94. Aruba 
  95. Dominican Republic 
  96. El Salvador 
  97. Guatemala 
  98. Costa Rica
  99. Colombia 
  100. Venezuela

And a lot more countries that do their share of the Catholic faith with different versions of what happens on the days of the holy week.

Celebrate The Holy Week - Holy Week Procession

Different Versions of the Holy Week Traditions

There is no exact number as to how many countries that celebrate different versions of the Holy Week traditions. There are several forms of celebration of the Holy Week traditions in the United States, Mexico, the Philippines, Italy, Spain, and many other countries in Latin America and Europe.

In Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia, the week of Holy Week is known as Semana Santa and most of the week is spent in prayer and fasting, with a particular focus on the Passion and death of Jesus on Thursday and Friday. Processions frequently take place in cities, towns, and remote areas. Along with processions, other celebrations may include masses, bonfires, theatrical performances, and lively music. 

In Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile, Holy Week is typically a time of strong religious devotion and deep spiritual reflection. Churches are usually filled with visitors and special masses are held in the morning and then again in the afternoon. In some communities, people take part in processions, like in Mexico and Colombia, but they tend to be solemn and more reflective. 

As Easter Sunday approaches, the Easter Vigil is celebrated in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Masses are held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday and the focus of the services shifts from sorrow to joy as the anticipation of Easter Sunday’s celebration increases. 

These are part of the Holy Week traditions in the Philippines and other Catholic-dominant countries in the list. Processions and festivities coincide with these masses and they often relate to the Passion of Jesus.

Overall, during Holy Week, every country across the globe pays homage to Jesus and the Christian faith by observing and celebrating these ancient traditions with solemnity and respect. Each country has found its own unique way of commemorating this holy week, but all look to invite the spirit of Christianity into their lives.

Celebrate The Holy Week -
A crowd during the holy week processions and prayers [Image by GustavoNovoa from Pixabay]

9 Traditional Holy Week Activities

1. Holy Week Processions:

Processions with statues of Jesus, Mary, and other biblical figures, accompanied by religious music and prayers, are often held in many of these countries as part of Holy Week celebrations.

Processions are a common tradition among these countries during Holy Week that include palm processions, and running of the bulls in some countries. The holy week processions depict the difficult, emotional scenes from the Passion of Jesus Christ in a parade-like atmosphere. 

Participants wear traditional period clothing and carry large wooden crosses and statues throughout the towns and cities. These recount the poignant sufferings of Christ in all their horror and intensity.

2. Bonfires:

Bonfires are often lit on Good Friday and/or Holy Saturday in some countries, in the symbolic release of the coming of Jesus. These are prevalent traditions in many parts of the world like an Easter bonfire ad Easter egg burning are held in celebration of Easter Sunday.

Participants gather around large fires, or pyres, to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ as continuing activity of the processions of holy week. The bonfire symbolizes new beginnings, the end of winter, and the coming of light. 

Some cultures lit a Judas fire and even throw figures representing Judas Iscariot into the fire as a way of signifying their rejection of sin.

3. Church Services:

Church services, holy week masses, and activities tend to take on an emotional and somber tone during Holy Week in these countries. Services in churches during the holy week are an essential part of most countries’ celebrations of Lenten Week. 

Special services, such as masses and processions, are held in veneration of the Passion of Jesus Christ and in anticipation of Easter Sunday. People come together in great numbers to both console and celebrate in a procession that often includes singing, reading scriptures, and praying. 

In countries like Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela, some churches will send out an invitation to all the neighbors in the area to participate in their processions and church services.

4. Theatrical Performances:

Theatrical performances serve as a remarkable approach to telling the stories of Jesus and his death on the cross. The Easter passion plays are staged in churches, Easter theatres, or sacred theatres and at other public sites as a reminder of the sorrow and triumph of the Easter holidays. 

The performances come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from informal dramas to large-scale operas. Dressing in period costumes and reproducing traditional settings also add to the theatrics and create an entertaining yet enlightening Holy Week.

5. Special Meals:

Special meals such as fish dishes and commemorative bread are shared in some countries on particular days of Holy Week. 

A number of countries have developed traditional lenten foods for the celebration. Some countries eat meals of fish or vegetable-based dishes to denote the period of fasting, while others partake in heavier fare with meat or cake. 

For example, in the Philippines, sweet rice called Biko and ground rice called Bibingka are some popular traditional foods or lenten meals eaten during the Holy Week. Other countries may also practice holy week fasting or abstinence from certain meats, such as shellfish during Lent.

6. Prayers:

Holy Week prayers such as the Rosary and other devotions are often said as part of holy week traditions in some of these countries.  

Special prayers and hymns are recited in church services specifically for Holy Week. For example, in the United States, churches hold special prayers as part of the Good Friday services, and in Guatemala, devotions such as “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” which focuses on the suffering of Christ in his final hours, are performed. 

In Italy, special chapels called “Misteri” are held to honor the death of Jesus and reflect on the sorrowful story of the Passion.

7. Holy Week Markets:

For many countries, in Mexico especially, Easter markets spring up around the time of Passover, providing an opportunity to purchase items related to the holiday. 

Many countries across the world hold outdoor lenten markets during Holy Week. Items such as religious artifacts, food, clothes, and local souvenirs are sold in these holy week bazaars or holy week fairs, providing a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. 

In the Philippines, the Quiapo Fair, a centuries-old tradition, marks the beginning of Lent and Holy Week with its many vendors and diverse assortment of goods. In Colombia and Guatemala, markets filled with religious memorabilia such as candles, wooden crosses, and statues of Jesus Christ can be found during Holy Week.

8. Home Decorations:

Homes in some countries are decorated with traditional symbols like the Easter Lamb and religious figures in the week leading up to Easter. 

To celebrate Holy Week, many holy week decorations adorn each Catholic Christian home with great decorations like candles, banners, easter flags, and crucifixes or holy week crosses. This practice of home decoration serves, not only to honor Jesus Christ but to also show one’s faith and serve as a reminder that Easter is coming. 

In Mexico, for example, multicolored resin crosses, representing Jesus, are hung outside the home to show his entry into the household. Meanwhile, in Spain, people hang colorful flags from their balconies to mark the beginning of the religious holiday.

9. Monument Visits:

Visiting monuments that include holy landmarks and places of pilgrims associated with the passion of Jesus is a common devotion during Holy Week in some of these countries. These are some of the local art places, galleries, and architecture showing artists’ passion for Holy Week, and how it happened to depict the faith of Christianity.

See also below, this video by 206 Tours from YouTube about the “Holy Week from Where it Happened!” and a lot more about why and how these countries celebrate traditional holy week activities around the world.

Conclusion

The Holy Week season is an important one for Christians around the world. Through these 100+ countries, many cultures, arts, and crafts have developed their own ways to celebrate the coming of Easter Sunday with various traditions and practices. 

From processions and bonfires to theatrical performances and special meals, each of these countries offers some way of commemorating and reflecting on the Passion of Jesus Christ. 

At NY Art Life, you can source arts and crafts traditionally used during this holy season as well as resources and information from experts. Why not learn more about the various customs and traditions that make the Holy Week such a special time for Catholic Christians worldwide?

Call +1 646-961-0512 or send an email to ciao@nyartlife.com to find out more.

Tags: ArtNew YorkNew York CitynewyorkTheater
NYartlifeMarketing

NYartlifeMarketing

Writer at NYArtLife.com, aka iseodigitalcontent - covers SEO, content operations, marketing & new investments of New York Art Life magazine and NY Art Life clients. Follow #iseodigitalcontent / #isdcimanagementservices or #edchristianfrugalidad on Google and socials.

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