Semana Santa: Mexican Spring Break Party
Tara A. Spears
Spring is always a happy time but coastal Mexico takes celebrating spring break to another level. The two week semana santa and semana Pascua (Easter in Spanish) is a national Mexican holiday that provides vacation time for families to hit the beach. The area goes into party mode: exuberant children and adults fill the beaches to bursting; crowds dance along the clogged streets to strolling musicians and celebrate with fireworks, traditional foods, and lots of beer! No one can out do the Mexicans for enjoying life with impromptu fiestas for fun-in-the-sun.
Holy Week (semana santa) has been celebrated in Mexico since the first years of Spanish colonization, approximately since the eighteenth century. The commemoration became an official event in Mexico in the mid-1900s. This year Holy Week begins from Sunday, April 10, to Sunday, April 17. During this period employees in the hospitality industry will be working long hours in order to provide motel, restaurant and related services- be patient.
While according to the Mexican Federal Labor Law, Holy Week is not a mandatory rest date, most companies usually grant holidays on Thursdays and Fridays of Holy Week. Many use their vacation time to be able to travel.
The best way to deal with this two week fiesta is to join in the fun. Relax and people watch: with every hotel and bungalow overbooked for the two weeks of Easter/Semana Santa, the hordes of out-of-towners will naturally be utilizing the area stores and restaurants, so expect to wait in lines. Grocery stores have staples fly off the shelves as quickly as items are stocked; tour buses stake out parking places throughout the residential areas; and all other types of shops have brisk souvenir and hat sales making it a good idea to shop early to avoid long lines.
In anticipation of the thirsty crowds, the local beer distributers have been working overtime to have enough beverages ready to go. It is typical for the stores to run out of regular size beer by Easter offering only the very small/chica’ or very large baleen/liter size. Stacks of beer line the entrance to the stores, and the bars set up street carts to offer micheladas (beer cocktails) and pina coladas in giant Styrofoam cups for the tourists.
Mexican munchies such as shrimp on a stick, ice cream, fresh fruits, and tacos are sold by strolling vendors all along the beach. To help keep the children occupied, a wide variety of beach toys are available from other vendors in colorful carts. The frosting on the cake of a memorable beach day is the lively sounds of mariachi bands that have parents dancing in the sand.
It is very impressive how the Guayabitos Hotel Association does advance planning in an effort to avoid problems and ensure a pleasant experience for all of the tourists. The government is coordination with the Association and has stepped up preparation of first responders because with so many people there are bound to medical situations. The Life guards and EMTs have organized supplies and developed protocol; extra trash pick-up is arranged; military patrols of the packed beaches are scheduled as a deterrent to theft. It will be interesting to see if the recently opened toll road from Guadalajara eases some of the gridlock from the interior to the coastal destinations.
After a two year hiatus due to covid restrictions, it is vital to the local economy to have a robust semana santa 2022. Unlike some beach destinations, Jaltemba Bay is family oriented so even with dancing in the streets and all night music, it is more restrained. It’s an exciting time, full of energy and fun. If all the celebrating is too much for you, try ear plugs and avoid the beach- it’s only for two weeks! On the other hand, meet new people and join in.
