No matter where in South America you find yourself, you’re sure to find something interesting to experience at Easter time.
If you’re in Buenos Aires during Semana Santa, you can participate in the local tradition of exchanging chocolate Easter eggs with friends, family, and colleagues. You’ll also want to try the special Easter cake, Rosca de Pascua. The city’s huge Easter parade will take place along the Avenue de Mayo Friday night.
To really immerse yourself in the religious side of Easter, you might also take a side trip to Tierra Santa, a theme park that recreates the sights and sounds of ancient Jerusalem. During Semana Santa, the theme park will offer many Easter-themed activities, including reenactments of the Last Supper and the Passion of the Christ.
If you’re in Peru, Ayacucho is one of the best places to see Semana Santa parades. Many parts of the resurrection timeline are reenacted, from the arrival of Jesus into the city on a donkey to the crucifixion and resurrection. Images of the Virgin Mary, Saint John, and Jesus are carried on litters through the city, and white roses and white candles are everywhere. The most spectacular sight occurs at 5 am on Easter Sunday, when the image of Jesus is carried from the cathedral in celebration of the resurrection. The litter used in this procession is a giant white pyramid, large enough to hold 3,000 candles. The litter circles the plaza for about two hours, as townspeople ring bells and set off fireworks in joyful celebration.
If you’re in Chile, you can check out the Quasimodo festival in some of the small towns around Santiago. This festival takes place the Sunday after Easter, when colonial-era priests would typically take communion to those who had been unable to attend on Easter Sunday. Leaving the church with the silver communion cup and other artifacts made the priest a target for thieves, so the priest would hire a group of cowboy bodyguards (huasos) to accompany him. Today, this tradition is remembered with a huge parade following the morning mass. The priest rides in a decorated car or carriage, surrounded by horseback riders, bicyclists and pedestrians–sometimes up to a thousand people!