Holy Week in Tegucigalpa

It's an anomaly of anomalies that the holiest week of the Christian calendar sees Latin Americans at their most secular—many of them take advantage of the week off and flock to the beach. Hondurans are no exception. But if you stay behind, it's a chance to see Hondurans at their most devout, too, as many of those who've eschewed the beach participate in a live re-creation of Semana Santa (Holy Week), Jesus's last week on earth.

The old colonial capital of Comayagua holds the country's largest Holy Week observances, but Tegucigalpa has begun in recent years to resurrect its old traditions, too. The end result is that the capital doesn't become quite the ghost town that it used to during Holy Week. Downtown churches—Dolores, San Francisco, El Calvario, and the cathedral—all participate in the processions. Celebrations get underway on Palm Sunday with a reenactment of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, late Thursday night sees the recreation of his arrest and trial, and Easter observances begin at dawn. But Good Friday is the day to be here if your schedule permits; the most elaborate processions are on this day and are notable for the intricate colored-sawdust carpets constructed along Avenida Miguel de Cervantes. There's plenty of pre-parade opportunity for photos before the parading of the Christ figure tramples the carpets.