Semana Santa, or Holy Week, celebrations take place all across Latin America. This year we opted to stay closer to home and check out the festivities taking place in Mexico City’s southern Iztapalapa borough. Iztapalapa is located southeast of the Centro Histórico toward the outer limits of the Federal District. It’s one of the city’s fastest growing boroughs, best known for having higher than average crime rates and frequent water shortages. The neighborhood is most famous, however, for its annual Passion Play, one of Mexico City’s largest cultural events, which takes place atop the Cerro de la Estrella. Each year during Semana Santa the entire neighborhood shuts down, vendors line the streets and as many as two million people show up to witness colorful yet somber processions and one of the largest reenactments of the crucifixion in the region.
Arriving in the neighborhood, I was pleased to discover that Iztapalapa is not the dangerous and chaotic place that I had been warned of — instead the atmosphere was overwhelmingly friendly and festive. Getting there and back was a breeze, the metro was barely crowded and I suspect that just like the ferias in nearby Santiago Zapotitlán and San Pedro Atocpan, the Semana Santa events in Iztapalapa attract more people from the outlying areas and nearby towns than from downtown Mexico City.
The photographs lining the outside of this building depicted scenes from local Carnival celebrations — some in areas considered to be part of Mexico City and others in the nearby outlying towns.
All throughout the neighborhood crosses rested against benches, street lamps and utility poles.
Every so often bare-footed actors in purple robes would shuffle by struggling against the weight of the crosses they carried on their shoulders. Friends and family followed behind urging them on.
Some of the crosses were decorated with flowers, images of Christ and Rosaries.
At times when the actors struggled friends and family would jump in and help out. Those who weren’t able to make it all the way up the hill carried their crosses out into the crowds.
For those who participated it was a difficult and emotional day, but it appears an enjoyable and rewarding one as well. For those of us who watched, it was an impressive display of faith and community spirit.
If You Go: Semana Santa events take place all week long in Iztapalapa, however the largest and most spectacular displays take place on Good Friday. The closest metro station is Iztapalapa. After exiting the metro it’s a short walk to the park and central square where the day’s events begin around mid-morning. From there it’s a several block uphill hike to the Cerro de la Estrella. The procession arrives around 3pm and shortly afterward the reenactment of the crucifixion is staged. Bring water and sunblock!
