On the Friday, families gather and spend all day cooking a very special soup known as fanesca. Fanesca is made from a dried fish called bacalao, and it is also made with 12 grains to represent the 12 Apostles. Some of the grains include peas, chochos, corn, habas (a type of bean) and red beans. The soup itself is very heavy and filling with a broth made with milk and butter. It is also eaten with fried plantains, hard-boiled eggs, avocado and little empanadas! Some families also make humitas, which is ground corn, or choclo, which is then wrapped in a corn husk and boiled. They are very yummy with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate! The making and eating of fanesca provides an opportunity for family members to gather, talk, spend time with each other and enjoy traditional food. After the meal with fanesca, on Viernes Santo, there is a procession in the night! This year I went to a procession with my host family in a small town known as Patate. The procession involves people from the church carrying large statues of holy figures, such as Mary and the apostle John, on their shoulders, while members of the community follow around singing hymns with candles in their hands. We circle around the town and arrive at the central church at the end. This tradition is for people to celebrate their religion and beliefs as a community. It is deeply personal and important to the majority of people here!
