ADSactly Folklore: Holy Week: between the religious and the pagan
Holy Week: between the religious and the pagan
Hello, kind readers
Each day of Holy Week has a meaning and a tradition for the Venezuelans. It begins with Palm Sunday. On this day processions are usually held using branches of palms and other trees to announce Passion Week. Another of the traditions carried out with great fervor and devotion is the magnificent procession that takes place on Wednesday in homage to the miraculous Nazarene of Saint Paul. Thursday is also the visit made by believers to 7 temples to symbolize Jesus' going to the Garden of Olives, the place to which he went after the Last Supper.
In spite of these religious customs that exist in Venezuela and that have thousands of devotees, there are many more people who assume these festivities as a form of recreation and relaxation. Most choose to go to the beaches, which are filled with a multitudinous and festive atmosphere. The cities that are close to the sea, such as the city where I live, Cumaná, receive thousands of tourists, who are offered marine delicacies, refreshing drinks and a number of attractions.
But this was not always the case. In the past, Holy Week was a time of recollection, prohibitions and penance, rather than celebrations. I remember hearing the most incredible stories of people who dared to transgress the norms and customs that society imposed on those dates. For example, supposedly one Holy Thursday a young man shouted at his mother and tried to hit her, but when he raised his hand he saw how his hand was raised and he could no longer move it. The same is the case of another young man who, because he was rude to his parents, grew pig ears and tail.
In this same style of stories, we heard that the women who bathed these days at sea, became mermaids and even if a couple had sex on a Good Thursday or Good Friday, they could get glued like dogs. One custom that has remained in Venezuelan homes is not to eat red meat these days, because in doing so it is believed that you are eating the flesh of Christ, so they usually eat fish and many vegetables. In recent years this custom is common throughout the year, since for Venezuelans, eating red meat is a luxury and a dream come true.
I always remember that when I was a little girl, at Easter, my sisters and I were in our house bored with nothing to do. Normally, when this happened, we would climb up the trees, and from there we would throw stones or fruit at everyone who passed by. That day we wanted to do something different, so we took a knife to put our names on the tree trunks. My grandmother, seeing that we took a sharp knife, alerted us that we shouldn't take a weapon on Easter. But since there is no obedient child, we ignored her and ran out to mark the trees. What a surprise! When we made the first cut in the bark, a red blood-like liquid began to sprout from the tree. We went out in terror to tell our grandmother, who told us that this was because we had disobeyed her and that it could be worse.
It's worth saying, for a long time we saw that mark on the tree and remembered that we could never grab knives on Easter or disobey our parents. Like this story, others were told in the family, but always with a sobering message. What I believe is what is sought in these festivities, not only to remember the greatest act of love made in the world, but the love and respect that a son had towards his father.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. I remind you that you can vote for @adsactly as a witness and join our server in discord. Until the next smile. ;)
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE
http://hablemosdeculturas.com/tradiciones-de-semana-santa-en-venezuela/
http://www.eluniversal.com/guia-turistica/3133/semana-santa-venezuela
Written by: @nancybriti
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Hola paisana, interesante tu post sobre la Semana Santa en Venezuela. Es verdad que hay mucha riqueza en estas tradiciones pero también es cierto que la crisis ha acabado con muchas de ellas. Pienso que lo mas importante en estas fechas es que, independientemente de donde estemos, sepamos recordar el paso de Jesus por este mundo, y muy especialmente su valioso legado. Hoy mas que nunca debemos avivar esa llama, muy especialmente en estos momentos en nuestra querida Venezuela. Saludos desde Barquisimeto donde resido desde hace tiempo, aunque como ud tambien soy oriental, pues nací en un lindo pueblo Sucrense...Carúpano. Saludos.
Wonderful outline! I hope you have a great Easter. Happy Friday!
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Excelente trabajo me gusto mucho, soy de los teques, bien, bien hecho.
Your post deals with a very significant relationship in the order of social practices. Along with Christmas, "Holy Week" is one of the dates of Christianity that has been intimately mixed with the common life of the people, and, as you point out, it combines the strictly religious with popular customs and beliefs. It would be nonsense to try to separate or search at this point for some "pure" expression of that festivity. It only remains to experience it from the most coherent attitude possible with the proper way of assuming life, of course, with due respect and tolerance. Thank you for your post, @nancybriti. Greetings.
Siempre me ha fascinado esa religiosidad supersticiosa de nuestra gente y las costumbres que llamas "paganas". Es decir, Venezuela es un país altamente creyente, pero la misma señora que va a misa y cree en Dios y en la Virgen, es capaz de decirte que no salgas a tal o cual hora o no pases por tal cual lugar porque puedes molestar a las ánimas o te puede salir tal o cual espanto, seres propios del folclore nacional que nada tienen que ver con el Catolicismo la biblia; es común oírles decir cosas como "yo no creo en eso, pero de que vuelan, vuelan". Y claro, a ello se agregan los que "celebran" este tipo de festividades con excesos de placer (fiestas, bebidas, playas), con lo que el retrato, como sociedad, es contradictorio, antagónico, pero sumamente llamativo. Excelente post sobre un interesante tema. Gracias por compartir. Saludos.