Despite the approximately 35°C heat in Nicoya this Good Friday, residents dressed up and went out to the streets to recreate the Via Crucis. The Good Friday crucifixion procession started at 8:30 a.m. and proved to be a 2.5-hour walk through the sweltering streets of the town, located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s northwestern province. Photographs by the Tico Times capture the behind-the-scenes efforts, showing community members preparing religious statues and coordinating logistics days in advance. Participants cleaned statues, arranged costumes, and practiced the drumbeats that set the procession’s pace, ensuring the event ran smoothly despite the challenging weather conditions.
Dozens of people turned out to witness the event and pray. At 3 p.m., an hour of prayer took place at the church, known as the Holy Hour, and at 5 p.m., the Holy Sepulchre procession closed the day. The Tico Times’ images document the community’s dedication, from the careful placement of flowers on statues to the participation of all ages, with younger members learning rituals from elders. In Nicoya, as in most communities around the country, the last procession of Holy Week will take place Sunday morning to celebrate the resurrection, marking the culmination of these significant religious observances.
