Remembering my Mom today and all our neighbors and relatives that lived in our neighborhood.

The week before Easter we went to confession. We would go shopping for our Easter outfits. We would spring clean the house. We went to church each day for Holy Week. On Holy Thursday we would all go with my Mom and Aunt to the Santuario. However starting early in the morning we would visit each church in Santa Fe, pray a rosary at each church and light a candle. We would then visit each church on the way to Chimayo. We would arrive late afternoon, visit the posito, get Holy dirt and holy water. When we got home we would cook some Lenten foods early for Good Friday because we needed to be done by noon time. On Friday morning we woke up early and started cooking immediately. We had to finish by 11:00 am. My mom would have a tray with small crystal clear bowls lined up. We would serve some of our food into the small bowls and then cover the whole tray with a tea towel embroidered by my Mom, starched and ironed. We would take a tray to all our Aunts and Uncles who lived in the neighborhood. Then we had to finish by noon time because all radios, music and disconnected phones were shut off for the Holy three hours. We would kneel in front of a nicho that our Santo Nino de Atocha sat with candles lit, rosaries, scapulars and other small tokens surrounding him. We prayed a rosary and other prayers led by my Mother and Grandma. My Grandma’s prayers were in Spanish. We could not talk or do anything for those three hours. After our three hours we continued to deliver trays of food and finally sit to eat our meatless Lenten Meal when Dad got home from work. I have continued this tradition for 50+ years.