Easter in Paraguay is an important religious holiday celebrated throughout the country, especially in predominantly Catholic areas. It is a week full of traditions and ceremonies commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, but nowhere more so than in Tañarandy.
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Easter in Paraguay
During Holy Week in Paraguay, cities and towns are adorned with decorations alluding to the season. The faithful participate in various religious activities, processions and ceremonies that take place in churches and in the streets.
One of the most outstanding traditions of Holy Week in Paraguay is the live representation of the Passion of Christ, known as “Vía Crucis Viviente” (Living Stations of the Cross). This theatrical representation of the Passion of Christ is carried out in several localities of the country, with local actors playing the roles of Jesus, the apostles, and other biblical characters. The faithful follow the route of the procession, reliving the last moments of Jesus’ life.
Another important tradition of Holy Week in Paraguay is the procession of the Holy Burial. On Good Friday, a solemn procession takes place in which an image of the dead Christ is carried in a coffin, accompanied by funeral music and with the participation of numerous faithful dressed in mourning. This procession is a moment of reflection and recollection for believers.
Holy Week in Paraguay is also an occasion for family gatherings and socializing, and it is common for families to get together to share traditional meals, such as chipa, a cassava starch bread with cheese, which is typical of the season.
In summary, Holy Week in Paraguay is a religious festivity with deep traditions and ceremonies that commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which is celebrated with devotion and fervor by the Catholic population of the country.
Celebration in San Ignacio Guazu de Misiones
The events of Holy Week in San Ignacio Guazú last several days. In the church of San Ignacio, the festive program is hung, but not the acts that have to do with Tañarandy.
In the center of the city, the church is open longer than usual. You can see the characteristic paintings of Koki Ruiz on the wooden pillars.
In addition, there are several masses, extraordinary confession hours and small processions of images in the days leading up to Good Friday.
Good Friday in Tañarandy
Tañarandy is the center of Holy Week in Misiones. In fact, the influx is such that many hotels do not reserve a night just for that day, but require several nights in a row. Below, I will tell you where you can stay if you want to spend Holy Week in Tañarandy.
The culminating act of this Holy Week is the Good Friday procession where the Virgin of Sorrows is taken out of Tañarandy and carried along with the image of Christ to the space known as La Barraca, a large natural amphitheater where the plastic paintings or living scenes of the Passion of Christ take place.
Schedule and itinerary
The schedule of events is fairly accurate, although it may be difficult to find information in the local press. At 5 o’clock, the images leave simultaneously from the church of San Ignacio Guasu and the church of Tañarandy.
From Tañarandy leaves an image of the Virgin that goes all the way through a path illuminated by 20,000 candles made with orange peel and animal fat and large torches that is known as the Yvaga Rape. The Virgin is accompanied by the estacioneros with their weeping-like music.
At nightfall, the image of the Virgen de los Dolores is the last to enter the enclosure known as the Barraca de Koki Ruiz.
Barraca de Koki Ruiz
La Barraca is a large open space in the form of an amphitheater where the living representation of the paintings of the Passion takes place. The attendees receive the images with candles.
The living scenes represented by people from the community of Tañarandy are different every year and end with the Passion of Christ on a small elevation similar to Calvary.
Many people prefer to wait for the arrival of the procession at the Barraca de Koki Ruiz, but the best way to see the missionary religious fervor is to follow the image of the Virgen de los Dolores through the Yvaga Rape, although it can be difficult to access the amphitheater where the living paintings take place.
Koki Ruiz
The plastic artist Koki Ruiz, a native of the department of Misiones, has been working his art from a social and community perspective for years. He himself coordinates and designs the staging of the Good Friday procession in Tañarandy.
In addition to his role as a community dynamizer, the name of Koki Ruiz is linked to large-format art pieces such as the altar used by Pope Francis during his visit to Paraguay made with seeds or the murals of the Paraguay pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020, also made with the same technique.
Where to stay in San Ignacio Guasu
If you are looking for a place to stay in San Ignacio Guazú, here are some options. You should keep in mind that San Ignacio hotels usually ask you to book more than one night if you intend to stay during Holy Week.
- Lo de Chiqui in San Juan Bautista. The capital of the department has some lodging options. Here you have a property with a swimming pool and sports courts to enjoy, especially if you go with your family.
- Santa María Hotel in Santa María de Fe. This small hotel has a lot of charm and is only 15 kilometers from San Ignacio. It is located in an Indian house of the Jesuit reductions, and its decoration gathers all the typical handicrafts of the region. Milcíades welcomes you with the characteristic missionary hospitality. A highly recommended place at an unbeatable price and in one of the most beautiful towns in Paraguay.
- Leaving San Ignacio there is a Country Club, just in front of the Santa Maria crossroads. It is a nice place to stay in cabins and be a little more in touch with nature.
If you do not find accommodation in San Ignacio, especially during Holy Week, one option is to continue to Carmen del Paraná or Encarnación, once the Tañarandy Procession is over. The road is well signposted for night driving and, especially Encarnación, has a wide range of accommodation.
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