++Guest post by Darren Mills. Darren is travelling through Colombia for 2 months having been around Central and South America for just over a year. He’s currently staying in Bogotá before heading to El Choco in a month. The views expressed herein are his own.++
With Semana Santa on the horizon, I’m hearing a lot about 2 subjects: vacations and religion. While travelling Colombia obviously forms the basis of mosts visits here, it made me think about what part religion plays in this country.
Many Colombians are proud to tell you that they’re one of the most devoutly Catholic countries in the world (though quite how you measure that I’m not sure…) And the influence of Catholicism in Colombia is plain to see: big, extravagant churches loom over pueblos and cities alike, and this is the first country I’ve actually witnessed so many people make a cross when they pass a church.
Other examples of how religious I’ve found Colombia to be include the sheer amount of Virgin Marys that adorn taxis, as well as the amount of religious statues I see in the houses of friends that I never would have thought were religious.
I compare this to, say, Argentina, where their expletives are often blasphemous to the extreme, and it’s actually impressive how the religion has managed to hold on so tightly here, even if it looks under threat from the next generation…
My favourite incident was when I went to see a play recently. One of the actors said something that (when compared to some of the Argentina slang I know) was relatively mild, along the lines of ‘yeh but I hate Jesus.’ It was meant as a punchline, but where I laughed, the rest of the audience collectively gasped. ‘Surely he didn’t just say that?!’ said the shocked faces all around the theatre.
Religiousness in Latin America isn’t really a surprising thing, but it can catch you off balance in Colombia, where you’ll suddenly be having a week off work in the name of Easter, or when you find yourself sat in a circle around Christmas time, singing songs and reciting prayers. Not what you might have expected from your Colombian vacation, but a rewarding experience nonetheless.
Oh, and don’t worry, religious celebrations usually involve a fair amount of partying, too. Here’s to Semana Santa!
Mariana on
Thanks for sharing it