Religious Traditions of Holy Week in León, Nicaragua
Many religious traditions in León are associated with Holy Week, such as processions, Stations of the Cross, masses, gardens, Eucharistic monuments, sawdust passion carpets, Holy Burials, sacred music, as well as representative traditions like the popular theater of the Judas Iscariot betrayal, foods, sweets, breads, drinks, customs, and beliefs that the people of León maintain as part of their culture and tradition.
Passion Carpets of Sawdust
On Good Friday for the procession of the Holy Burial, León becomes a manifestation and exhibition of art. In the “Street of Carpets,” in the indigenous neighborhood of Sutiaba, more than 60 artisans create passion carpets from early hours, in which they recreate religious images.
The making of passion carpets in Sutiaba dates back to 1910 and was originated by the Rojas Family, who decided to make a carpet with sand and sawdust on the day of the Holy Burial procession, an initiative that was liked by the neighbors and was adopted each year.
Today, passion carpets are made of sawdust, corn grains, sorghum, etc., which are painted with bright colors and together form images with religious motifs and biblical passages related to the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, thus giving an artistic and cultural touch.
Families from León infuse faith and tradition into sawdust carpets
Artisan families from Sutiaba in León infuse the passion, life, and death of Jesus Christ into sawdust carpets, leaving faith and tradition in their art. Sawdust carpets, also known as “pasionarias,” are a tradition celebrated in León, bringing together families who traditionally make them to commemorate Holy Week.
The bishop typically blesses the passion carpets made by the hands of artisans from the Indigenous Community of Sutiaba, which are crafted every Good Friday on the well-known “carpet street.”
In this place, the dedication, faith, and love of each artisan family are evident, as they put all their art into the elaboration of each sawdust carpet commemorating the death of Jesus Christ, also praying for the health of every Nicaraguan.
At 6 in the evening, the awarding of the best carpets by the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture (INC) and the municipal government of León is typically celebrated.
Passion Carpets, a Longstanding Tradition
The making of passion carpets is a cultural and religious tradition cherished by the people of León. In the indigenous neighborhood of Sutiaba, specifically on the street known as the Street of Carpets, local artists express sacred scenes using sawdust dyed in various colors.
In his report on this colorful tradition, Carlos Fernando Álvarez shares the story of Carlos Alvarado, one of the artisans who creates a different scene each year.
“The scene for Good Friday is called ‘The Prayer in the Garden,’ marking the moment when Jesus is about to be judged for the process leading to his death,” he explains about his work.
Carlos Alvarado’s family’s scene is among the first on the street. “In this process, we work with my children, my grandchildren, and today with the collaboration of a voluntary friend. The material used in this process is sawdust dyed with dye brought from Masaya. It’s something my dad taught me, and I’ve been working on it for 44 years. Primarily, it’s about expressing our Christian faith and honoring our ancestors,” he emphasizes.
Nubia Martínez reflects on the tradition initiated by her grandmother. “We’ve been doing this for over 60 years, always in honor of my grandmother. It’s a source of joy and tradition for us. Every year, we continue this practice, with each year bringing forth a new scene. It’s about upholding our faith and feeling blessed,” she shares.
Yamileth Ortez Hernández, another participant in the tradition, explains the process of using red sawdust mixed with white, extracted from pine wood. “We mix it with the desired color; the dye comes in a bag, which we dissolve in water to prevent quick drying. This yellowish hue allows us to create various flowers, the sun, hence why we refer to it as ‘gold’,” she elaborates.
Teresa Ramírez, INTUR delegate in León, highlights the tradition’s century-long existence.
Nicaraguans relish in Summer Holidays, Life, Joy, Peace, and Goodness. “This tradition has been passed down through generations, with Nicaraguan families finding joy in its practice. As both a tradition and an art form, it draws numerous visitors. Families collaborate, with some preparing the sawdust, others painting, and others decorating,” she confirms.
The tradition also attracts national tourists and visitors from other countries.
In addition to the making of passion carpets, Visit Leon describes several Holy Week rituals of Leon:
Procession of Saint Lazarus and the Little Dogs
During the morning of the penultimate Sunday before the start of Holy Week, dozens of devotees accompanied by dogs of all breeds, sizes, and colors gather at the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Sutiaba to ask for protection and healing for themselves, their family members, other people, and their pets.
The dogs are dressed up; they wear costumes of various types, whether simple or very colorful. The participation of the dogs is based on texts from the Bible, which say that Saint Lazarus was a poor man with a body covered in sores, to whom only the dogs approached to lick his wounds.
Procession of Jesus of Triumph or “the Little Donkey”
This procession is carried out with a life-size image of Jesus of Triumph, which is carried by a small donkey, accompanied by philharmonic bands that enliven the religious activity. Once finished, the parishioners gather in the temple to participate in a mass. With this procession on Palm Sunday, the Catholic Church of Nicaragua officially begins Holy Week.
The blessing of the palms is one of the most solemn acts of the liturgy. With the blessed palms, crosses are made, which are devoutly placed on beds, doors, vehicles, wallets, windows, etc., as a symbol of spiritual protection for the people.
Blessing of the chicha in honor of Saint Benedict of Palermo
As part of the festivities in honor of Saint Benedict of Palermo, the “blessing of the black corn chicha” is performed on the morning of Holy Monday. Devotees bring corn chicha to the Church of San Francisco de Asís in containers; after the morning mass, the parish priest proceeds to bless this drink to then be distributed to the churchgoers.
The Judea
The Judea is an expression of the religious popular theater of the people of León with over a century of existence. The aim of this tradition is to bring the Gospel of Christ to the people, with representations of scenes from the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The theater group, parishioners who perform this interpretation every year, dress in handmade costumes representative of the era: the robes of Jesus and the Jews, the Roman soldiers, the two thieves. The actors strive to interpret the final moments of Jesus, as read in the Bible.
The Judea is a very serious endeavor for the groups that perform it, and they dedicate a considerable amount of time to practice and making their costumes. These performances take place during the days of Lent throughout the city, as a prelude to Holy Week.
The Golden Crab Punch
It is still said among the people of León that, at midnight on Holy Thursday, from the ruins of the parish of Veracruz, a crab of immense bright light emerges heading towards the Church of San Juan Bautista in Sutiaba. Once there, it enters and shortly afterward, exits to the place where the hut of the martyred chieftain Adiact once stood.
The people of Sutiaba believe that this golden punch is none other than the spirit of their martyred chieftain. According to some versions, whoever manages to capture it will own the treasures buried somewhere in the community; a treasure said to be made up of abundant gold.
Popular Beliefs of Holy Week
There are many beliefs related to Holy Week, such as: abstaining from eating red meats, not spitting, not speaking loudly, not running, not dancing, not singing, not using profanity, and especially avoiding sexual relations, as great misfortunes or impotence may occur. After Holy Wednesday, corn is no longer ground, and fire is not lit.
Others include: Not riding horses, not sweeping the house or the patio, especially on Good Friday. Nor should one laugh too much, particularly on this day. One should not enter the water during Good Friday because one might turn into a fish or a mermaid. Disregarding these beliefs means not respecting Jesus, for not having mourned his death, describes Visit Leon.
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