Origin and History of Easter in Chile
Chile is a magnificent country in the South American continent, occupying a long narrow coastal strip between the Andes Mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. About 70 percent of Chile’s population follows Roman Catholicism as its chief religion. As such, all Christian festivals are celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm, whether it is Christmas or Good Friday (the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion). Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third of his Crucifixion. This falls on the Sunday immediately after Good Friday. Like every other country, Chile celebrates the festival of Easter with its own set of special customs and traditions.
Local name: Easter
Ways to celeberate Easter in Chile
Easter celebrations in Chile start a week before the actual festival arrives, which is called Palm Sunday or Domingo de Ramos. During this holy week, many religious ceremonies, masses, and processions are taken out by devotees. Various mourning programs are played on the local radio with special music, which continues till Easter Sunday. Similar to other Christian countries that observe Easter, Chilean Easter also witnesses special meals, such as Shooter of King Crab, Sweet Avocado, Lamb, puffy potato balls (papas duquesas), and a traditional Chilean tomato salad with sweet onions. The celebrations extend to one week after Easter Sunday, ending with the observance of 'Cuasimodo' or 'Correr a Cristo' or Running to the Christ Day. On Cuasimodo, priests take their post Easter rounds accompanied by armed cowboys. This is a day-long celebration that involves a mass, procession, music, dance, and holy prayers concluding the Easter celebrations.
