Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 31: Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic country, but its colonial and trading history gave certain parts of the country a sizable Christian minority. One such location is Larantuka in the region of East Flores, whose Christian (largely Catholic) population is heavily influenced by the Portuguese sailors, traders, and missionaries who came through.

Legend has it that a statue of a woman was found washed up on shore in the early 1500s, and when the Portuguese arrived they recognized the statue as that of Mary, which fit nicely into plans to convert the local population.

Today, the statue (along with one of Jesus) is part of a notable Good Friday procession. Both statues are kept in sealed caskets, and on Holy Thursday the casket of Mary is opened, the statue washed, and then dressed in mourning clothes. On Good Friday, the statue of Jesus is taken out, and both are processed, including a segment where the statues are placed on boats and sailed around the bay. The two statues eventually join up at the local cathedral in time for mass.

This article gives a good look at some of the celebrations and activity in Larantuka's Semana Santa, though I'm not sure if the captions are all that accurate (for example, they have Holy Week running from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday).