I like Holy Week (or Semana Santa, as it is called in Spanish) for one major reason. And that is that the entire population of San Jose heads for the beach, leaving clear roads and a refreshingly peaceful existence for at least a few days. But there is another aspect of Semana Santa that is quite amusing. And that is that you cannot buy a drop of alcohol (legally) anyplace, anywhere. They are so serious about it that they drape horrible black plastic sheets around all alcohol displays in supermarkets with an ominous looking official seal that if broken will surely bring down all manner of hell upon the heathen imbiber. I grew up in Brunswick County, North Carolina. It is the home of the “high-tiders,” which is the nickname for locals of that area due to the unusual “twang” of their accent. One curious thing I remember about growing up in Brunswick County is that they enforced (not sure if they still do) the Puritanical “Blue-Laws” that condemn alcohol sales on Sunday. The other noteworthy thing I remember about Brunswick County is that it is (or was) probably the most morally decrepit county in the state. I have to draw an analogy to Costa Rica because despite of the government’s ridiculous attempt to “legislate morality” by outlawing sales of alcohol during Semana Santa, the rest of the population just uses the whole affair as one big excuse to party. Alcohol sales are prohibited throughout the country on Thursday and Friday. So what does everyone do, stock up to the hilt on Wednesday. I need to check the facts, but I would venture to guess that alcohol sales on the Wednesday before Semana Santa officially begins on Thursday have to be the highest of any day in the year. I don’t want to be one to rain on the parade of ancient Catholic traditions, but for most of Costa Rica, the so-called “Holy” Week is anything but. Well I guess that actually depends on your definition of “holy.” If it means abstinence from alcohol, sex and drugs, then I don’t believe the behavior quite matches the connotation. If it means enjoying time with family and friends and a greater sense of “togetherness” then ok, because at the beach this weekend, there will indeed be plenty of that, alcohol (purchased on Wednesday, of course) included. As for me, Holy Week means work week and that’s just the way it is in the tourism business. Same with Christmas and any other holiday. All humor and satire aside, for Catholics and Protestants and all forms of Christian worship, there IS something to celebrate this week. The bedrock of the religion is the death and resurrection of Christ and this holiday is in commemoration of that. With all the revelry that encompasses these holidays, it seems that the true meaning of them is quickly forgotten. Silly laws that attempt to force us to do so just don’t cut it. To really have a heartfelt reflection of what this Holy Week stuff is all about, it requires a personal decision that the government can neither mandate nor coerce. So I say let the people eat, drink and be merry and leave it up to their own consciences as to whether in so doing they are indeed maintaining the tradition of “Holy” Week. In the end, the actions that we commemorate are those of unconditional love. I believe that whether or not we have a few drinks to celebrate the event, if in our own actions we are demonstrating that concept, then the man upstairs is smiling down on us.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Free 100 Cool Things eBook
100 Cool Things to Do in Costa Rica
10 Crazy Cool Things to do in 10 Super Cool Places - entertaining, informative and the perfect tool to help make your Costa Rica vacation as cool as it should be...