Holy Week and San Miguel—A Special Reverence

Almost nowhere in Mexico is Semana Santa recognized with such reverence, tradition, and awe as in San Miguel de Allende. Visitors both devout and curious come from all over Mexico (and the world) to experience the intense emotion of these observances of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

Despite the crowds, this is not a tourist show. These Holy Week ceremonies are deeply felt statements of faith. Many of the rituals go back centuries. It is a privilege to be allowed to observe them—and even participate if your faith leads you to do so.

In Mexico, Easter observations are a package deal—not just a day or even a week. In San Miguel de Allende, Semana Santa or Holy Week, is not really a “week.” The pageantry leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday actually begins two weeks before Easter and continues into the week after.

Banks and most other businesses not catering to tourists will be closed on Good Friday. Some may also close on Thursday and Saturday of that week.

In addition to being a religious holiday, Holy Week in Mexico is also a vacation time for many Mexicans. (I’m told Mexico City is becoming a virtual ghost town.) Millions head to the popular beach resorts, but more than a few will come to San Miguel. Restaurants and accommodations in San Miguel will be crowded. If you plan to visit, book hotels well in advance. Check the San Miguel Hotels Directory for possibilities.

NOTE: The dates for Semana Santa 2009 are April 3-12.

The site, link is provided above, old site, but has the fullest information in regards to Semana Santa week in San Miguel de Allende.

These photos are from yesterday Thursday, April 6, 2023. This event took place at San Antonio Plaza. The event in the sense “replicated” Da Vinci’s Last Supper. You can see some participants are dressed in similar painting robes, and some carry food. The procession came out of the church under the sound almost like a bang of the balls, walked around the plaza returned to the church square, and set around the table. After for about 2 hours was mass in the open air, singing and celebrating. People also till late night were going from church to church for the pieces of bread. In my home country, it is a piece of bread dipped into red wine, where red wine represents the blood of Christo.

You can see the robes of monks above reflect the colors  of The Last Supper – a mural painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci

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