Passion games in Iztapalapa: Over 1.4 million celebrate Jesus' crucifixion!

Passion games in Iztapalapa: Over 1.4 million celebrate Jesus' crucifixion!

The traditional passion games in Iztapalapa, a district of Mexico City, attracted a huge audience this year. On Good Friday, 1.4 million people took part in the celebrations, as Mayor Aleida Alavez Ruiz announced on platform X. The performance that Jesus' crucifixion was part of the Semana Santa (Holy Week), which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. The viewers were also able to pursue the performances online, whereby the event reached an even wider audience.

The passion games that have been listed continuously since 1843 have a profound tradition. This began to represent the suffering of Jesus as survivors of a cholera epidemic to thank God that they were spared. This impressive representation of suffering, death and the resurrection of Christ was recognized in 2023 as an intangible cultural heritage of Mexico, which underlines the international importance of this tradition and contributes to the preservation of the cultural heritage.

organization and participants

The passion games are organized by the eight original districts of Iztapalapas: San Lucas, San Pedro, San Miguel, San Pablo, San Ignacio, San José, La Asunción and Santa Bárbara. These responsibilities lie in the hands of the Comité Organizador de Semana Santa EN Iztapalapa AC (Cossiac), the members of which come exclusively from the respective districts. Every year over 500 actors and numerous volunteers are involved in the implementation and logistics of the event.

The origins of the passion go back to 1833. During this time, the initial performance was inspired by medieval evangelization theater. In 1866 the story "El Mártir del Gólgota" was integrated into the performance as the basis for dialogues and scenes. In addition, the Marcha Dragona, a military song, has been playing a role in the scene changes of the Roman soldiers since the beginning of the 20th century.

UNESCO and intangible cultural heritage

The вклюение this tradition in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage Mexico is not only recognition, but also a significant step at the international level. The National Council for Cultural Heritage in Mexico (CNPCI) also sees the opportunity to nominate this tradition at UNESCO for status as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. UNESCO maintains various lists to protect the cultural heritage, whereby the intangible cultural heritage includes customs, rituals and traditions that are passed on by oral traditions and performances.

Article 1 of the UNESCO Convention defines the goals to preserve intangible cultural heritage and promote awareness of its importance. Intangible cultural heritage conveys identity and promotes respect for cultural diversity, which is of great importance in a globalized world. With the entry in the CNPCI, a plan to secure this tradition is created in order to meet future challenges and to preserve the tradition for future generations.

In many places in Latin America, people are reminiscent of Christ's suffering, and in Iztapalapa, citizens take on a central role in this important cultural tradition. The passion games are not only an acting event, but also a powerful symbol for the thanks and survival of the community in the face of adversity.