Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 13: India

Christians account for a small percentage of India's religious make-up, at just over two percent. That does translate to nearly 28 million Christians, which when added to the history of colonialism means you can find Easter celebrations all across the country.

I opted to focus on Goa, a small state on India's west coast, which Portugal ruled for nearly 450 years when India annexed (invaded) it back in 1961. Even with Portugal's long history there, Goa is only about one-quarter Christian, which may be why the Easter celebrations, while more prominent than in other parts of India, is fairly similar to what you'd find back in Portugal. There is a procession called the Way of the Cross, in which locals carry a large wooden cross and an icon of Jesus through the streets as a representation of his march through Calvary, which is similar to the processions you'd find elsewhere.

One more specific tradition is a dish called sorpotel, which is a stew made of various organ meats from pigs (though it's not uncommon to find versions that don't rely on offal). I will say it looks delicious based on many of the pictures I've seen, but I think I'd ask how traditional it is before tucking in.