Semana Santa: Holy Week in Taxco, Mexico
A young woman poses as the procession passes by. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
I had my sights set on returning to North Macedonia for Easter Holy Week, but logistically, it was becoming too complicated. While I’m still fired up about a future trip to that wonderful country, I found myself in Mexico instead for the celebration of Semana Santa (Holy Week). This wasn’t the original intent of the trip, but after doing some quick research online, it immediately struck me that I had to make time to witness (and hopefully photograph) this iconic week.
I planned the trip to spend four days—Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday—in the beautiful colonial-era town of Taxco, Mexico, which I had visited once before. I’m incredibly excited to have returned, this time with my partner Rebekah.
Holy Week is a blowout celebration in Mexico, with Holy Thursday and Good Friday being national holidays. Taxco is said to have one of the most beautiful and unique Easter celebrations not only in Mexico but in the world. Originally a silver mining town, Taxco still flourishes today—though primarily because of tourism. Its narrow black-and-white cobblestone streets are etched into the mountainside, offering more than 1,000 feet of vertical relief from top to bottom. Nearly all of the streets wind their way to a central point: a large and ornate baroque-style church commissioned and built sometime in the 1700s known as the Santa Prisca de Taxco.
As you ascend the town, it begins to split into barrios, or neighborhoods, and the community grows progressively poorer. Ironically, a Rio-style statue of Jesus, albeit smaller and not nearly as widely known, the Cristo Monumental de Taxco, overlooks the town from these same hillside neighborhoods.
OLD PHOTOS BLOCK?
These old VW bugs can be found nearly everywhere. GFX 100sII 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
Mexico fascinates me—a country full of rich history, tracing back to the early origins of humanity on the North American continent. I’ve visited many times, mostly for mission work in my young adult years, particularly in Baja California. I brought my camera along even in those early days, beginning to cut my teeth on photographing the people and stories of the region. I’d love to do a deeper dive here someday—there are so many stories to tell and places to see. I’ll include some work below from those early experiences.
CONFRADÍAS
For this trip, I primarily wanted to focus on the three religious brotherhoods, or cofradías, that still participate in acts of self-penitence and ritual flagellation during Holy Week. With some help from ChatGPT “These practices blend Spanish Catholic traditions with pre-Hispanic indigenous rituals and have been preserved in Taxco since at least the early 1600s.” The three main brotherhoods are: Animas (The Bent Ones), Encruzados (The Crossed), and Flagelantes (Flagellants).
The Confradías line up to begin their procession before sundown. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
LOS ENCRUZADOS
Los Encruzados are an all-male group that carry bundles of thorned blackberry canes, weighing between 40 to 50 kilograms (88 to 110 pounds), tied across their bare backs and outstretched arms. They are hooded and in black robes from the waist down. They remain shirtless in order for their body to accept the large thorns of the canes. Teams of 2 load these bundles onto the shoulders of the participants as they spread out in a line for a procession, and meticulously tie their outstretched arms with rope, emulating a cross.
A member of the Encruzados beginning his walk, fully loaded. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
A member of the Encruzados rests along his walk, fully loaded. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
LAS ANIMAS
The Procesión de las Ánimas takes place on Holy Tuesday night and features hooded men and women dressed in black, walking hunched over in silence with chains on their ankles and candles in hand. This haunting procession symbolizes penance and solidarity with souls in purgatory, creating a powerful and solemn atmosphere. Rooted in 17th-century Spanish and indigenous traditions, it is one of the most emotionally intense events of Taxco’s Semana Santa. The clinking chains, flickering candlelight, and bowed penitents moving through narrow streets leave a lasting impression.
A member of the Animas prays. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
A group of the Animas women begin their self-pentience. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
LOS FLAGELANTES
The Flagelantes are penitents who walk shirtless, carrying heavy wooden crosses—sometimes weighing over 100 pounds—and whipping their bare backs with rosaries or metal-tipped cords. They stop to kneel and strike each side of their body in a solemn act of penance. This self-inflicted suffering symbolizes their devotion and connection to Christ’s passion. It is one of the most intense and powerful expressions of faith during Holy Week in Taxco. My partner Rebekah and I were pretty close to the action and unfortunately she got a direct hit of blood on one of the strikes.
A group of the Flagelantes begin their ritual flagellation. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
A group of the Flagelantes walk after their ritual flagellation. GFX 100sII, 55mm 1.7 @ 1.7. Santa Prisca de Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. April, 2025.
It was truly a spectacle to see the Confríadas begin their procession and continue to practice their acts of religious devotion. I deeply respect their convictions as I drew parallels to the suffering I choose in my own life, primarily in the mountains.