Easter in Mexico with Mexican car insurance

The Easter season has arrived. What a great time to be in Mexico! Get yourself a Mexican car insurance, pack up your things and you’re good to go. Get in the car, get on the road and off you go!

Easter Sunday (Domingo de Pascua) is one of the most important holidays in the Christian religion and one of the biggest celebrations in Mexico. Catholic Christianity is the country’s dominant religion, with more than 80 percent of the population identifying as Roman Catholics.

If you are looking for a new, refreshing experience and want to learn something new about a different culture and its customs, Mexico is the right place for you. It is a country with timeless religious tradition. Check out one of its traits.

Easter: a two-week holiday

Easter is a two-week holiday in Mexico, consisting of the Holy Week (Semana Santa) and Easter Week (Semana de Pascua). The Holy Week begins on the Sunday prior to Easter, called Palm Sunday, and ends on Easter Sunday. It celebrates the last days of Jesus. Easter Week starts on Easter Sunday and ends on the following Sunday.

Since schools (and some offices) have a two-week vacation period, this is also a time when most Mexicans spend time with their family, go on holiday or to a beach nearby. So expect a crowd. The whole nation is on vacation.

Moreover, it’s good to know that Good Friday (Viernes Santo), along with Easter Sunday, is a national holiday during which most places of business are closed. Public transportation and traffic may be a bit stalled in the streets where the processions take place.

Semana Santa and passion play

For centuries, Easter festivities have been held throughout the country. Processions and re-enactments of religious events are really something special. Magnificently staged, well-acted and wonderfully costumed, these ceremonies are a joy and inspiration to all the spectators. A passion play includes re-enactments of Biblical events such as the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Judgment, the Procession of the 12 Stations of the Cross, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. It is a great honor to be a part of them. Don’t be surprised by large processions of penitents.

Places to visit

Though the whole country celebrates Semana Santa, a few places are known for its Easter celebrations: Taxco, Ixtapalapa, San Cristobal de las Casas and Patzcuaro.

The most famous passion play in the country is performed in Ixtapalapa. It is a true endeavor that includes thousands of participants and even two million spectators. All the actors must be born in Ixtapalapa and the one who portrays Jesus Christ is chosen because of his exceptional moral character and physical strength. Then the crucifixion is re-enacted. He wears the genuine crown of thorns and bears a 200-pound cross before being tied to it.

Taxo is also known for its long tradition of celebrating Semana Santa. One of its most moving processions is Procesion de las Almas, when after a year of the spiritual and physical preparations, penitents of one sisterhood expiate their sins.

Visit Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi to witness to a smaller silent procession called Procesion del Silencio, when people march down the street in silence by candlelight.

Domingo de Pascua and Cascarones

This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 16^th.  It is a day when people go to the Mass. It is also a family day, mostly celebrated quietly, though festivities with fireworks and processions take place in some country areas. Expect no Easter Bunny or chocolate and colored Easter eggs.

Breaking colored eggshells filled with confetti (cascarones) with friends and family is a cherished tradition. The word “cascaron” is derived from Spanish word “cascara”, which means “shell”. This is something that everyone enjoys. No wonder, considering they crack them on each other’s head and watch the confetti shower.

Good to know

Visiting Mexico during Easter holiday is the unforgettable and exciting experience. There’s just one thing you should know. Expect Mexico’s popular vacation spots, bus stations and airports to be hectic. Going by car can be a better option. Contact Mexican insurance, the oldest and largest exclusive Mexican insurance service provider, find out useful information about the insurance and get yourself covered. You may need to plan ahead a little more, book a hotel room, make restaurant reservations and exercise patience. Crowded places are actually an opportunity to get to know Mexican customs and people better.