Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 40: Easter Island

While the island may be named for the holiday, the locals on Easter Island do not share the sort of passion for it that their fellow Chilean citizens do. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise, given the small population (just under 5800) and that the island is ethnically much more Oceanic than Hispanic (it's basically a 60/40 split between Rapa Nui and Chilean background, though even the Chilean fraction includes people of mixed Chilean-Rapa Nui ancestry).

There's not much out there about how residents of Easter Island (who are largely Catholic) celebrate Easter, but I did find this one account that makes it seem pretty low key. There's a mass, maybe some extra singing and blessing of foods, and then a communal meal afterwards (which appears to be common on holidays).

I suppose what makes Easter on Easter Island interesting are the ways in which Rapa Nui culture and mythology are worked into the church and the service. This page gives a good rundown on how the building's decoration reflects the local folklore, from the images that appear on the front of the church to the use of a Rapa Nui deity as the base of the baptismal font. Beyond decoration, the hymns appear to be sung in the Rapa Nui language, and (at least on Easter) local dress is also incorporated into the priest's ceremonial clothing.

While much of what makes Easter on Easter Island unique isn't specific to the holiday, it does reflect more generally those other countries we've seen that have taken local practice and found a place for it in Easter celebrations. Which really does make it a fitting place to wrap up this year's Lentorama.

I actually enjoyed this year's edition more than most (heck, this is the first year in a long time where it will actually be done before Easter!), and will hopefully find another good idea for next year.