Semana Santa (Holy Week), San Gregorio Atlapulco

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is organized by a group of 14 young men known as Los Varones. They dedicate themselves to the Catholic Church for a year or two. It's quite a commitment. During the 40 days between Lent and Easter, they can't drink alcohol, smoke, attend parties or have contact with their girlfriends. To prepare for Holy Week, they'll carry tables or another Varone on their backs to prepare themselves for carrying heavy statues and walk barefoot through the hills to toughen their feet. During Holy Week, they'll only sleep 2 or 3 hours a night and they'll fast for two days.

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Christ Figure, Palm Sunday
Los Varones carry the figure of Christ mounted on a donkey through the pueblo.
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Palm Sunday Procession
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Candle, Palm Sunday
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Three Angels
Three kids dressed as angels take a break during the Palm Sunday procession.
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Christ Figure, Palm Sunday
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Mass, Palm Sunday
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Palm Sunday Mass
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Altar
On the Wednesday of Semana Santa, church and chapel altars are decorated with seasonal fruit. The fruit will be distributed on Easter Sunday.
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Holy Thursday Procession
On Thursday evening, the figures of Mary and Jesus are carried through the pueblo. Jesus is blindfolded to depict his knowledge of his impending crucifixion.
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Los Varones Waiting
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Virgin Mary
The young girl selected to portray Mary must be unmarried and without children.
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A Varon With Scapulas
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Good Friday
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Receiving the Crown and Sign
Los Varones don't touch any part of the cross or figure with their bare hands, using instead white cloths.
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Lowering the Crucified Christ
It takes a little over two hours to lower the figure. While this is being done, albanazas--dirges--are sung.
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Calvario Chapel, 1:00 AM Saturday
Los Varones have carried this tomb through the streets for six hours. They've fasted for two days, had only a little water and walked barefoot. They each had some orange juice in this chapel before continuing to the next chapel and then, finally, the church.
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The Sindigo
The Sindigo is the person who pays for many of the events during Semana Santa, including meals for Los Varones and apostles and the Last Supper. Here people are lighting their candles on Saturday, during an event called El Fuego Nuevo (The New Fire).
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El Fuego Nuevo (The New Fire)
El Fuego Nuevo (The New Fire) is on the Saturday following Good Friday. All the lights in the churchyard go out, candles are lit and a mass is celebrated.
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In Meditation
I shot this during the Fuego Nuevo.
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Holy Water and Chamomille, La Pasqua (Easter Sunda
Water is blessed with rose petals that covered the coffin in which the Christ figure lay. People bring buckets and bottles for the water on Easter Sunday. Chamomille is also handed out.