12 Apr Guadalajara traditions of Holy Week

In Guadalajara, as well as in many parts of Jalisco, faith is lived intensely and during this period of Holy Week and Easter we want to tell you about some of our religious traditions, which will offer you another experience on your visit to the Tapatia Pearl.

Let’s get to know them!

The visit of the seven temples

Every year hundreds of Guadalajara families make a special pilgrimage in the Historic Center of Guadalajara. Perhaps you have ever heard of this tradition, but do you know why it exists and when it originated?

You will be surprised to know that this tradition dates back to 1540!, when Saint Philip Neri informally imposed this “tour” of the seven churches of Rome. You should know that the number 7 has a very strong value in religion, which dates back to the creation of the world, the miracles of Jesus and, to a certain extent, the places that the Nazarene visited before his crucifixion.

This tour began from the Garden of Gethsemane, then the houses of Annas, Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, then to Herod’s palace, returned to Pilate’s house and, finally, to Mount Calvary.

With this in mind, parishioners gather in the heart of the city to visit seven temples, among which stand out: De la Merced, which is located on Hidalgo Avenue, perhaps one of the easiest to locate, since it is located Next to the Municipal Palace, the Las Capuchinas temple, on the corner of Contreras Medellín and Juan Manuel streets.

Another pair of temples that are usually visited in this Guadalajara tradition is that of Santa Teresa and that of Jesús María, both on Morelos Street, a few blocks away. You can find the Santa Monica temple on Reforma Street.

And you can finish the tour at the impressive Metropolitan Cathedral; Years ago the flow of parishioners was such that vehicles stopped traveling on Holy Thursday and the sale of empanadas was common at the entrances of the churches.

Visit the Analco neighborhood

What would you think about visiting what is considered the first neighborhood of Guadalajara? This is an adventure full of history. We tell you!

In this part of the city, the Temple of San Sebastián de Analco stands out, a Franciscan enclosure with great cultural value and one of the first Catholic buildings built in the region.

As a cultural fact, the name Analco refers to the Nahuatl word that means “on the other side of the river”, since many, many years ago the San Juan de Dios River flowed through the area.

The Analco neighborhood is characterized by a significant number of mechanical workshops, shoemakers and carpenters; Gastronomy could not be missing in this corner of Guadalajara, so you can find small shops and bakeries that, particularly during Holy Week and Easter, host an important religious event: La Pasión Analco. A series of events and activities to mark the religious season.

As you can see, we offer you several options to soak up the Tapatia traditions this Holy Week and Easter. Follow our website to find out more tourist proposals.

In Guadalajara we are waiting for you with your entire family.