Rent a Car in Mexico and Semana Santa (Easter in Mexico)

In Mexico, Easter is a combination of Semana Santa (Holy Week, which runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday) and Pascua (Resurrection Sunday until the following Saturday). For many Mexicans, this is the best time of the year to take a vacation, so if you have your rent a car Mexico make sure you plan extra travel time. This is a special time of the year in Mexico because they celebrate the last days of Christ's life as well as his resurrection. It is also a celebration from the sacrifices of Lent.

Take in the passion play

In many communities across the country you can take in the full Passion Play when you are visiting with your rent a car Mexico. This is the story that outlines Jesus' life from the Last Supper, the betrayal, judgment, the procession of the twelve stations of the cross, to the final stage of the Resurrection. Many of the reenactments are well staged, with excellent costumes and acting.

Expect something different

Easter in Mexico is very different from what you will find in the United States and the English world. In some of the urban areas such as Mazatlan, some of the traditional customs of Easter might not be as apparent as other areas of the country. When you visit with your rent a car Mexico this is a great opportunity to learn about a new culture so close to home.

Kick off the festivities

The Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. Weavers make elaborate woven palms and set up shop outside the churches. Later, these palms are hung on the front door to ward off evil. When they dry, the palms are then burned, and as legend has it, the smoke carries prayers to God.

One thing you might notice during this week when you visit with your rent a car Mexico is that this week is a much more solemn event than it is in the English world. Rather than celebrate the Easter Bunny and chocolate, the focus is on the life and death of Christ. On Holy Saturday, many towns will burn an effigy of Judas filled with firecrackers.

Easter in Mexico has been carved from two different traditions. In order to convert the indigenous people who were already inhabiting the land, priests often allowed them to incorporate their customs with Easter rites. Some missionaries would even allow them to worship their own gods, as long as they were named after Catholic saints. Many of the traditional customs have been dimmed by American culture becoming more a part of the everyday life of Mexicans, but you will see some of these traditions well and alive when you visit Mazatlan with your rent a car Mexico.

When you visit Mexico with your rent a car Mexico during the Easter season, you can expect a few changes from what you will typically see in the United States, but it can be a very interesting and solemn event while you are here.