Semana Santa – Holy Week in Larantuka East Flores
REINHA.com – The procession of Semana Santa is a tradition that is keep in from 500 years ago. This procession focus on to Jesus and mother Mary as a mourning women who is mourn her son being tortured for the sake of human being.
Acording to the legend, a fisherman saw a statue who smiled at him and there is three words on the shore, which later Portugese priests deciphered as Reinha Rosario Maria or the mourning mother Mary.
As catholic pilgrim, the Easter Semana Santa is a particulary a special week, when thousand of catholic people coming, not only surround Flores island, but all Indonesian include international tourists.
On Good Friday, these event extent to the water, where a statue of Tuan Meninu (a baby Jesus) hidden inside a black casket, is transported from its home chapel to the cathedral where it will begin Friday’s long march. When this happen, it is followed by hundreds of boats.
As the sun sets, the main event has begun, when thousand of people follow the statue of mother Mary, they’re carried acros town, from the cathedral and then back again to cathedral.
There are eight stops, each stops representing the tribes of Larantuka, and you will hear a singing from ovos which is tell us the story of Jesus crucifixion. It’s not just carried the mother Mary acros town, but within this procession there is standing, walking, singing, and kneeling for the purpose to pray.
This procession of Semana Santa it’s an unique traditions only one in the world, and you can see it just in East Flores – Larantuka.
If you want to see this event, you can go to Larantuka, take a flight from anywhere around Indonesia to Kupang, and then from Kupang take a flight to Larantuka. Just take 10 minutes, you can find a hotel near the airport and enjoy the procession of Semana Santa.
# Semana Santa – Holy Week in Larantuka East Flores
