Semana Santa Explained: A Cultural and Faith Guide for Engaging Hispanic and Latino Families

Written by Maria Del Amo, director of Hispanic and Latino engagement, NCEA, maria@ncea.org

For Catholics, Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a time characterized by special liturgies, traditions, and profound reflections. Yet, across Hispanic and Latino households, Semana Santa is profoundly lived, celebrated, and carried forward through stories passed down from generation to generation.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, Semana Santa was a special time of the year. School was closed during Holy Week, as our way of having a “Spring Break.” While it may have felt like a “vacation” to us as kids, the week was anything but casual. 

Below are five personal anecdotes from Semana Santa, as I remember them as a child, deeply grounded in tradition, memory, and faith. Understanding the celebration of Semana Santa in Hispanic and Latino households provides Catholic schools with an opportunity to engage with families by honoring faith and culture during one of the most significant weeks of the liturgical year.

1. Semana Santa Begins With Palm Sunday—and Preparation

When I was younger, Semana Santa began with going to Palm Sunday Mass. After receiving our palms, my sisters and I had the vital job of carefully folding our palms into the shape of a cross. Crafting the cross was not merely a task to occupy us during Mass. It had a purpose.

Once home, the palm cross was placed on our family altar, alongside candles, prayer cards, and statuettes of our favorite saints. In our house, St. Anthony was always present along with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This simple act taught us that Holy Week was a time for preparing both spaces and hearts. 

Many Catholic schools already do this well, and these moments can be deepened through simple, intentional practices—such as inviting students to create a prayer space in their classroom or at home, or taking time to explain the meaning behind the symbols and rituals they will see during Holy Week liturgies.

2. Faith Is Lived at Home, Not Only at Church

Semana Santa held a special meaning for me because it extended beyond our parish, allowing us to spend more time with family and our local community.

During Lent, many Hispanic and Latino families observe the period through reflective practices, choosing to give something up. Instead of regular meals, simpler meals are served during Lent.  

Much like in other Catholic communities, Friday meals in Hispanic and Latino homes skip meat altogether, and fish, seafood, or legumes are more common to honor the sacrifice of Christ. When Easter Sunday arrives, the atmosphere changes. As in many Hispanic and Latino cultures, food is at the center of any celebration, and Easter Sunday is no exception. Meat dishes like pork, beef, and chicken are staples to celebrate renewal and Resurrection.

For Hispanic and Latino families, home is where much of a family’s faith life unfolds. When schools acknowledge and respect the realities of family life, they affirm parents as true partners in faith formation.

3. Holy Thursday and Good Friday Are Treated With Deep Reverence

Even though we were technically on school break, I remembered Good Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday being solemn days. During these days, there were no outdoor games, no beach trips, no casual activities. The atmosphere signaled that something sacred was to come.

On Good Friday, many families participated in El Pésame (Condolences), a devotional prayer offered to Mary as she grieved the death of her Son, inviting moments of sorrow, reflection, and hope.

Good Friday also included Via Crucis dramatizations, in which the Stations of the Cross were prayerfully reenacted in church or neighborhood streets, allowing families to walk the path of Christ’s suffering. These traditions show children how to handle specific times in our faith that require them to remain quiet and respectful while understanding the larger significance of Holy Week.

4. Media and Culture Reinforce the Story of Christ

Growing up, television programming during Semana Santa reflected the sacredness of the week. Instead of regular shows, we watched classic biblical films like Jesús de Nazareth (Jesus of Nazareth), Los Diez Mandamientos (The Ten Commandments), Ben-Hur, La Pasión de Cristo (The Passion of Christ), and El Príncipe de Egipto (The Prince of Egypt). 

These films, along with televised morning Mass, immersed us in the life of Jesus—His miracles, His suffering, and His love. Semana Santa became both a religious and cultural event, reinforcing the story of salvation in ways children could understand.

This reminds us that storytelling is a powerful tool for faith formation today. Holy Week offers a meaningful opportunity for families to seek out these timeless films, watch them together, and allow the story of Christ to spark prayer, conversation, and reflection at home.

5. Symbols Speak Louder Than Words

One of the most impactful moments of Easter Mass that I can remember as a child had nothing to do with words, readings, or prayer. 

I vividly remember watching the priest change his vestments—from the penitential purple of Lent to white or gold. That visual shift said everything to me—sorrow had given way to joy, suffering to victory, death to life. For me, as a child, that moment made the Resurrection real.

Catholic schools can lean into these visual and symbolic moments, helping students see how the Church tells the story of Christ not only through scripture, but through color, movement, and ritual.

Bringing Semana Santa Traditions into the Classroom

Semana Santa invites us to slow down, remember, and walk intentionally through the heart of our faith. Many of the Hispanic and Latino traditions shared here—creating prayer spaces, engaging with sacred storytelling, honoring silence, reflecting on the Passion, and celebrating the joy of the Resurrection—can be thoughtfully adapted for age-appropriate use in the classroom.

Whether through a simple moment of prayer, a shared reflection, a visual symbol, or a story that invites conversation, these practices offer meaningful ways to help students experience Holy Week not just as a lesson, but as a lived expression of faith.

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