Good Friday and Easter Celebrations San Miguel Style

San Miguel is famous for it's celebrations and parades, especially those celebrating religious holidays. On our recent trip this March we arrived towards the end of 'Semana Santa' (Holy Week) on Good Friday. Since we caught a red-eye and arrived in town early in the AM we were able to grab a great seat in The Jardin (the main center in San Miguel across from The Parrochia) before the crowds started forming to see the Good Friday Procession. The procession which was supposed to begin at 11am starting on typical 'Mexican time' around 1pm. Needless to say we waited awhile and the sun started getting stronger and warmer. We were fortunate enough to meet our group of friends who were in town for their daughter's wedding which was being held the next day so we all gathered in the square before the festivities and enjoyed a great view once they began. It is a very solemn day in San Miguel and the procession begins on the side of the Parrochia and goes around the entire square. We watched an amazing parade of locals who carried grand figures of all of the Virgins including a beautiful Mary dressed in blue velvet, and an amazing figure of Jesus (shown here in our photos). They also perform a short reenactment of Pontius Pilate and local men are dressed as Roman Soldiers as they stomp through the square in an almost ominous fashion. It was an amazing procession to watch on a glorious sunny and warm day in San Miguel.