Anyone know the dates for semana santa?

Gator says on Feb 18, 2006, 10:43:

This Year... April 9 through April 16. Semana Santa begins on Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) through Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Good Friday, culminating in Pascua or Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday). During this week, many schools and offices are closed for all are part of the week. You can expect resort areas to be very crowded as people take advantage of the holiday. Prices for rooms are usually at a premium

We hope to be in Popoyan for Semana Santa with the wife's sisters.
This is probably the biggest celebration of this type in Colombia with Mompox being next.

"Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscripti catapults habebunt."

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

paolo64 says on Feb 18, 2006, 11:58:

thanks gator
just the info I needed.I was thinking of popayan myself, I hear it is a pretty special event.

But would a single guy like me find happiness there, or should I go to cartagena? If I could find just a little company AND experience a cultural event like the one in popayan I'd be much happier than the huge crowd and party scene in Cartagena.

thanks again.

Gator says on Feb 18, 2006, 15:54:

I Am Afraid.... Popoyan would not do unless you could find an amiable traveling companion. In addition I doubt you can find a place at this late date-ours, or the wife's sisters anyway, booked in September. BUT Cartagena is most certainly a viable option.

"Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscripti catapults habebunt."

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

utopiacowboy says on Feb 18, 2006, 16:21:

What I find very strange about this question is the notion that Semana Santa is a Colombian thing. This is just another name for Holy Week which is widely celebrated throughout Catholic areas of the world. It's a big week here in San Antonio with numerous vistors coming from Northern Mexico.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

tomtom33 says on Feb 19, 2006, 01:47:

I'm leaving CTG for Semana Santa. There are too many people. Plus I can rent my apartment for more than enough to pay for my trip to MDE.

paolo64 says on Feb 19, 2006, 07:05:

UC...being an atheist I have no idea when easter week is. And maybe, just maybe it is celebrated a different time in colombia (apparently not). Maybe the holidays in colombia are the week before or the week after good friday, I really don't know. It's a pretty simple question, but try finding the dates on the web. Try finding the dates for 'carnaval' for any particular city and you get an answer like '40 days before ash wednesday.' huh? Means nothing to me. And it turns out every city and town in argentina and uruguay for example celebrate carnaval at different times anyway. So sometimes it's just easier to ask someone who knows. Now do you get it?

paolo64 says on Feb 19, 2006, 07:10:

Gator-thanks, probably Cartagena is for me. I'll see popayan when I am old and/or attached (no offense!) Although I understand tomtoms pov too. Guess I better get busy booking a hotel...

Lionheart says on Feb 19, 2006, 07:10:

same week around the world I remember traveling through Spain and Portugal during the Holy Week. All week long every town and village had huge processions led by the priest, many people carrying holy artifacts and singing or chanting. From what I heard it is similar in Popoyan and some other Colombian villages, as in other Latin American countries as well.

utopiacowboy says on Feb 19, 2006, 09:04:

No, I still don't get it. Good Friday is Good Friday everywhere and so is Easter Sunday.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

paolo64 says on Feb 19, 2006, 11:05:

UC not sure why I am bothering, guess because it's too hot here too be outside, so here ya go.

I wasn't even sure what MONTH good friday is in. Means nothing to me. Get it? easter could be in july for all I know or care. So when i go to avianca online to book a flight, typing in good friday doesn't work. maybe I could search the web and find a calendar, but i tried and must be useless at google as it is not easy to find. PLUS as I already said, I don't know if the holiday week is leading up to good friday or if it is the week of easter monday.

In canada (your home country I believe?) I am unaware of any easter holiday week, just good friday and holiday monday. And only banks and gov't offices are closed, not everything. Maybe schoolkids are off a week then? I don't know, I don't have kids. I would think it would be perfectly normal for a colombian to ask when easter vacation is in Canada, so what's abnormal about me asking about specific dates to travel in colombia?

I imagine you are one of those guys who replies to questions on the lonely planet site that 'these questions have been asked before', as if the only question one can ask has to be totally original. Wouldn't it be easier just to answer the question?

By the way, since these questions of religious holidays are apparently universally known, mind telling me what calendar day is ash wednesday in 2007 so i can start planning my rio carnaval trip (which I imagine I get to by counting back 40 days then trying to figure out if it starts on the nearest saturday before or after or whatever)?

Lionheart says on Feb 19, 2006, 17:49:

all about these holidays Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week. It is the Sunday before Easter, and the beginning of the Christian Holy Week. It celebrates the story of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. During Palm Sunday services, many churches distribute cut palm leaves. Greek Orthodox Christians receive branches of fragrant bay leaves, and later used in cooking during the year.

Palm Sunday marks a turn in Christian churches' observance of Lent from a time of discipline and sorrow for one's sins to a time of looking ahead to the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus and His Resurrection. Christians, in Jerusalem, by the late 300's, were celebrating Palm Sunday on the first day of the week. They did this at holy sites, to remember the events that led up to the crucifixion of Christ.

Maundy Thursday [Lat. mandatum, word in the ceremony], traditional English name for Thursday of Holy Week, so named because it is considered the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper (that is, the mandatum novum or “new commandment�). In some churches, Jesus's washing of the disciples' feet is symbolically reenacted.

Good Friday observes the death of Jesus on the cross. Most churches hold mourning services. Some services last from noon until 3 p.m. to symbolize the last three hours of darkness while Jesus suffered on the cross. The term Good is a poor evolution from the German Karfreitag or from God's Friday.

Holy Saturday is chiefly a day of solemn vigil (watch). The major activity of the day comes at nightfall as observance of the Resurrection approaches. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches hold vigil services that often include the baptism of new members.

Easter Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches hold Saturday evening services. Most Protestant churches hold Sunday morning Easter services.

During the 40-day period beginning with Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the time when Jesus reappeared to some of His followers. This period ends on Ascension Day, or Ascension Thursday. On this day, the story of Jesus' rise to heaven is read in churches. In Catholic churches, the Easter paschal candle is put out on Ascension Day. The Easter season concludes 10 days later with the feast of Pentecost, when the apostles reported that the Holy Spirit had entered into them. Christians believe that the church began at that time.

The Carnival Season (a. k. a.Mardi Gras) is a holiday period during the two weeks before the traditional Christian fast of Lent. The origin of the name "Carnival" is unclear as there are several theories. The most commonly known theory states that the name comes from the Italian carne- or carnovale, from Latin carnem (meat) + levare (lighten or raise), literally "to remove the meat" or "stop eating meat".

In Germany the Karnival season start on November 11th, 11:11 am and lasts till Ash Wednesday. In this time the Karnival clubs prepare for the parades during the two week Karnival session.

Ash Wednesday Maundy Thursday Good Friday Easter Sunday
Wed, Feb 09, 2005 Thu, Mar 24, 2005 Fri, Mar 25, 2005 Sun, Mar 27, 2005
Wed, Mar 01, 2006 Thu, Apr 13, 2006 Fri, Apr 14, 2006 Sun, Apr 16, 2006
Wed, Feb 21, 2007 Thu, Apr 05, 2007 Fri, Apr 06, 2007 Sun, Apr 08, 2007
Wed, Feb 06, 2008 Thu, Mar 20, 2008 Fri, Mar 21, 2008 Sun, Mar 23, 2008

I hope this table shows right.

paolo64 says on Feb 20, 2006, 20:16:

now there's some information!
but hope you understand if all I do is record the dates and forget the rest! Reminds me too much of catechism when I was a child...uggghhhh. But really, thanks for the dates.

But you say carnival is 2 weeks long (I am sure you are right) but I am finding it is only celebrated with parades and corsos and all that for maybe 4 or 5 days in most places in Latin America. So how do you know which 4 or 5 days? I'm specifically thinking of Rio and maybe Salvador (?, sorry it's late) in Brazil as they are by far the most popular, although maybe New Orleans should be there too.

Lionheart says on Feb 20, 2006, 22:43:

the main party days I am drawing my memories from Germany and Mardi Gras, I would think the same can be applied everywhere.

The last Thursday is called Old Women's Thursday, the women get to go out alone in Germany and party, basically raping any man they can catch ... many don't come home till Ash Wednesday. This night starts the real partytime. So you have 5 days and nights to try to survive. I recall seeing the parades in Germany, New Orleans, Trinidad (highly recommended at this time) and in Brazil during the daytime in these five days.

Of all carnival destinations I would pick Trinidad. Do a websearch, they go way beyond what you see in Brazil. But I would recommend a 6 month training period of training how to drink rum ... you will need it to survive ... if they could they would inject it.

For the USA I prefered Austin over NO for Mardi Gras, smaller, not so crowded, and you can't ignore the Texan girls. To much petty crime and harder laws now in NO. In Austin you can give away your beads more freely.

tomtom33 says on Feb 21, 2006, 03:31:

Ahhh, the bead business. That's one thing I miss in Colombia. In the US I can give away several sets(sometimes dozens) in a day on the boat with the proper reward(for me). I don't even have any beads in Colombia.

paolo64 says on Feb 21, 2006, 07:06:

I was wondering... why girls in north america are only too happy to take their tops off at every occasion, dancing on bars etc., but in Colombia, where the women seem far more adventurous in every other way, I have never seen anything like that? Or have I just not been going to the right places jeje?