![La Cuevita de Iztapalapa en Semana Santa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/La_Cuevita_de_Iztapalapa_en_Semana_Santa.jpg)
The ''Passion Play of Iztapalapa'' is an annual event during
Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
in the
Iztapalapa
Iztapalapa () is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City, located on the east side of the entity. The borough is named after and centered on the formerly independent municipality of Iztapalapa, which is officially called Iztapalapa ...
borough of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. It one of the oldest and most elaborate
passion plays in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
as well as the best known, covered by media both in Mexico and abroad. Unlike others in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
, its origins are not in the colonial period but rather in a
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic in the 19th century, which gave rise to a procession to petition relief. Over time, the procession included a passion play which grew to include various scenes related to Holy Week. Today, the play includes not only hundreds of actors but also thousands of men called “Nazarenes” who carry their own crosses to follow the actor chosen to play Jesus to the site where the crucifixion is reenacted. While the event is still primarily religious, it has also become a rite of identity for Iztapalapa (only residents of certain communities may participate) as well as a major tourism attraction for both the borough and the city.
Description of event
![Nazareno_en_La_Cuevita](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Nazareno_en_La_Cuevita.jpg)
In Mexico, many communities stage processions and passion plays for
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
, which in some places extends into other days of Holy Week.
The Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa holds the largest and most elaborate of these, with up to 5,000 people participating and 150 of these with speaking roles.
While a religious event principally, it is also a community event, as only residents of the eight original communities of the borough (San Lucas, Santa Bárbara, San Ignacio, San Pablo, San José, San Pedro, La Asunción and San Miguel) can participate. The event is popular, drawing crowds of anywhere from 2.5 million to four million from Mexico and abroad during the week that scenes are performed. The play is also accompanied by news media helicopters and rows of police to keep control of the crowds.[
The performances do not adhere strictly to the ]Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
as there are influences from other religious writings and even secular stories. While it is claimed that the original script for the play still exists, its performance has evolved over the years. Unique features to the Iztapalapa event include a character called the “Wandering Jew”, a harem belonging to King Herod, and a spy and dog that accompany Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
who personally brings Jesus to Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
.[ Costumes are elaborate. The Roman soldiers wear leather sandals, bright tunics, plumed helmets, and carry javelins and swords.][ A number of these ride horses lent by the Mexico City police who train them to ride.]
The performances begin on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
with a procession along Calle Aztecas to the local parish church, where Mass is held. Then the recreation of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem is held. On Holy Tuesday
Holy Tuesday, Fig Tuesday , or Great and Holy Tuesday ( grc, Μεγάλη Τρίτη, ) (lit. 'Great Third (Day)', i.e., Great Tuesday), is a day of Holy Week, which precedes Easter.
Western Christianity
In the Roman Catholic Church, the readi ...
, a scene depicting the miracle of the loaves and fishes is held.[ Crowds grow for ]Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...
at the Cuitlahuac Plaza, which begins with a procession that finishes with the reenactment of the Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
, the washing of Jesus’ feet, and Judas’ betrayal. When Jesus is arrested, Aztec drums and flutes announce the event.[ There is also a Procession of Silence which winds its way through the eight communities.]
The play is intense and emotional, especially on Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
. The scene of Jesus being tried by Pontius Pilate occurs at midday at the Cuitlahuac Plaza. He is then turned over to the Pharisee
The Pharisees (; he, פְּרוּשִׁים, Pərūšīm) were a Jewish social movement and a school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs bec ...
s. After this, about 10,000 take part in the procession to Calvary
Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
, carrying crosses of different sizes.[ This procession is an enactment of the ]Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
. Jesus is kicked, beaten, and whipped, and cinematic blood used. When he stumbles and falls, the crowds react. Judas walks through the streets and the crowd calls out “traitor”, as the actor throws fake coins from a bag.[ At the top of the ]Cerro de la Estrella Cerro de la Estrella (English: Star Hill) may refer to:
* Cerro de la Estrella, Mexico City a 2,613 m high mountain in Mexico City
** Cerro de la Estrella (archeological site)
** Cerro de la Estrella National Park
Cerro de la Estrella National P ...
, which doubles as Mount Calvary, the sound of nails being hammered comes across the loudspeakers, and the crowd becomes very quiet. The actor is really bound to the cross and remains there for about twenty minutes. As the cross with Jesus is lifted it is not unusual to see people crying. After the crucifixion, the representation ends with Judas hanging himself alongside Jesus.[
In addition to the man and women chosen to play Jesus and Mary, hundreds of young men called Nazarenes follow in the procession to the Cerro de la Estrella, barefoot, with crosses of varying sizes and often with crowns of thorns. They are accompanied by “''Vírgenes de Pueblo''” (Town Virgins) .][
The annual passion play has become an important tourist attraction for Mexico City, especially for the borough of Iztapalapa, which promotes tourism to the area during this time, offering guided tours of local museums, landmarks and green spaces. There are also specials in local hotels and restaurants.] Around the staging areas, there is a carnival atmosphere with street vendors, amusement rides, and those selling religious items.[ Many of the scenes take place on the esplanade in front of borough hall. In 1992 the city published a book about it called ''Semana Santa en Iztapalapa'' (Holy Week in Iztapalapa).][ In 2009 a cultural festival called the Festival Cultural Pasión por Iztapalapa was created to run alongside the religious event.][ In the same year, two monumental ]sawdust carpet
Sawdust carpets ( es, tapetes de aserrín) are one or more layers of colored sawdust, and sometimes other additional materials, laid on the ground as decoration. Sawdust carpets are traditionally created to greet a religious procession that walks o ...
s were created related to the event for a photographic exhibition on the plaza in front of borough hall. However, due to the solemnity of the occasion, the sale of alcohol in all venues, including bars, restaurants, and nightclubs is banned for the entire week.
Preparations
The production of the event is a massive undertaking. It requires the coordination of people from the eight original communities (barrios) of the borough, which amount to thousands of people who devote months rehearsing, creating costumes and sets, and then decorating churches and streets and more.[ A number of the tasks as well as certain roles have been passed down for generations, such as providing first aid, creating the cloth Veronica uses to wipe Jesus’ face, and certain acting roles – although this has been challenged as more people want to participate.][ There are 136 principal actors that rehearse for 37 days, along with another 275 actors, 500 extras, and about 2,000 Nazarenes that follow the actor playing Jesus when he carried the cross to his crucifixion.][ In addition, there is coordination with borough and city authorities who provide logistics in terms of thousands of police for crowd control, as well as ambulances, doctors, helicopters and water stations.] Direct costs run in the hundreds of thousands of pesos
The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...
, with millions more in city services. All of this is coordinated by a committee of Iztapalapa residents, called the Comité Organizador de la Semana Santa en Iztapalapa. It has over fifty members and its organization is partially based on indigenous traditions.[
]
Another important role for the committee is to select the people to play the most important roles, especially the man and woman to play Jesus and Mary respectively.[ Tradition demands that those chosen to play these two roles may not date, drink, smoke or go to parties until they have finished their commitments, along with two newer traditions: no tattoos or piercings. The candidates must also show that they have the economic means to buy the costumes.][ The candidates are investigated to ensure they meet these requirements.][ In addition, candidates to play Jesus must also show that they have the physical endurance for the beatings and for carrying of a 100 kilo (220 lb.) cross for four kilometers.][ Once the chosen candidate passes the two rounds of the selection process, he is then required to remain celibate for the intervening year before the performance, and begin physical training six months in advance.][
]
History
The event is one of the most elaborate and oldest of its kind in Mexico. However, unlike most passion plays in Latin America, this does not date from the colonial period.[ Its origins are in a ]cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic in 1843 when the Iztapalapa area, outside of Mexico City proper, had a population of about 20,000, mostly indigenous. As a petition to ease the pestilence, the area began a procession to the “''Señor de la Cuevita''” ( Lord of the Small Cave), an image of Christ entering Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
on a donkey which is found in a small natural cave in the community of Pueblo Culhuacán
Pueblo Culhuacán () is an officially designated neighborhood of the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City, which used to be a major pre-Hispanic city. Ancient Culhuacán was founded around 600 CE and the site has been continuously occupied since. The ...
. When the epidemic ended it was seen as a miracle and it became a permanent annual event. Soon after, the procession included a reenactment of the crucifixion on Good Friday, and over time the passion play grew to cover almost all of the events associated with Holy Week.[ Although its origins are in the 19th century, there is evidence of syncretism with indigenous traditions. The procession changed from the image in the cave to Cerro de la Estrella in 1920, after a heavy rain inundated the original site. This site was that of the Pyramid of Mixcoatl, associated with the New Fire ceremony. Aztec drums and flutes appear in the event as well.][
Catholic authorities have alternatively banned and approved the event since its inception. There is a letter dated 1867 asking ]Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Liberalism in Mexico, Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec peoples, Zapo ...
for help in its preservation against hostile church authorities. During the Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
, the event was suspended due to clashes between governmental and church authorities. However a legend states that Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the ins ...
lent his horses and ordered the renewal of the event in 1914.[ Church criticisms of the play have included that it deviates too much from the Biblical account, and it does have elements of other stories such as Dante’s ]Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
. Examples of deviation include King Herod’s harem
Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
which performs a sensual belly dance
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
. However, the play has survived not only church prosecution but also governmental opposition to public displays of religion and Iztapalapa’s demographic change from indigenous to mestizo.[
The popularity of the performance began to significantly increase after ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, attracting tourists first from within Mexico then from abroad. Popularity increased in the 1960s, when Vatican II
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and 1 ...
legitimated passion reenactments.[ It has become the most famous passion play in Mexico.][ Television coverage of the event began in the 1980s, and since has regularly been broadcast to the Spanish-speaking world, as well as covered by media in the United States and Europe.][ While it remains first and foremost a religious event, it has also become a rite of local identity and has brought attention to the poverty of the borough.][ A documentary about the event called "''Iztapalapa, memoria y tradición"'' was directed by Francisco Alatriste Torres of the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia.] The city government has declared the event to be an intangible cultural heritage of Mexico City, as part of an effort to gaining similar recognition from UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.[ The increased tourism, as well as “competition” and influence from other passion plays, have had an effect. The urban space where the play takes place has changed to accommodate its growth. Passion plays in the ]Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
have had an influence leading to more realism in the violence, both in the flogging and the crucifixion. The actors have become younger, as well as the Nazarenes which now include some children.[
]
Passion Play 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ().
The virus was confirmed to have reached Mexico in February 2020. Howe ...
, the play was moved indoors for the first time in its 177-year history and it was broadcast on television. Fairs, commercial events, pilgrimages, and shows associated with Holy Week in Mexico
Holy Week in Mexico is an important religious observance as well as important vacation period. It is preceded by several observances such as Lent and Carnival, as well as an observance of a day dedicated to the Virgin of the Sorrows, as well as a ...
were suspended. Schools were closed and vacationers were advised to stay away from beaches and other tourist attractions. The broadcasts, the first to be aired nationwide on television, were co-produced by the borough government and public stations Channel 14 and Channel 11, as well as the city-owned Capital 21 (with broadcasts online to viewers abroad as before, but with the added first of international broadcasts via satellite).
In 2021, the number of broadcasters of the event grew, with even Televisa
Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.
In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...
's Youtube page offering a live broadcast feed.
References
{{Portal, Mexico, Mesoamerica
Iztapalapa
Holy Week processions
Passion plays