Religious Traditions Unite Families: Easter is the premier holiday, and Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a time when most all express their faith, bringing the nation to a standstill. Spanish-style street processions take place every day of the week before Easter, to dramatize all stages of Christ's way to the cross, crucifixion, and resurrection. Small villages have their own way of celebrating, and they add to the occasion the blessing of oxcarts, horses and trucks. Families everywhere prepare "dulce de chiverre" (sweet preserves), "arroz con leche" (sweet rice), "tamal mudo," eggnog, quesadillas, "rosquillas" and "polvorones," and special dishes with seafood.
During the Christmas celebration and some days previous to New Years, a similar practice -- the national "fiestas patronales," are celebrated. Families gather to display nativity scenes at their homes and to celebrate the "posadas," a custom where children, playing shepard’s, go house to house and sing Christmas carols, re-enacting the journey of Mary and Joseph. The "Rosario del Niño" is a rosary the families pray to conclude the Christmas celebration. Musicians perform traditional carols while the party-goers feast on traditional meals. One of the most typical foods is tamales, but families also serve "hecho de masa de maiz y rellenos de arroz," and "carne de cerdo y vegetales."
