Easter (Cuaresma)

Easter begins on Ash Wednesday, right after the King Momo is burned at the stake signifying the end of carnaval. This is the beginning of 40 days of easter. Aruba is predominantly Catholic, so this time of the year is important for most on the island.

Many choose a 'sacrifice', which means something that you give up for the duration of the 40 days. Some of the examples include drinking alcohol and fast food. I guess this is appropriate for the carefree period of carnaval.

Catholic rituals are observed and include the Via Crucis, which is a ceremony that is based on the crucification of Jesus. The most popular Via Crucis is held in Alto Vista Chapel. Especially for this ceremony. White crosses line the road leading up the chapel, which are the stations in the Via Crucis ceremony.

Another tradition is to avoid eating meat on Fridays during Easter. Many restaurants (including fast food chains such as Subway) take this into consideration by adjusting their menus offering fish or seafood dishes.

One tradition that is not derived from religion is camping. During the last 2 weeks of Easter, many families get camping permits and spend up to 2 weeks camping, mostly on the beaches of the island. As most other things in Aruba, this is a family oriented activity. Camping compounds abound the beaches, and are most of the times a combination of regular tents, but also trailers that were previously used for watching the carnaval parades retrofitted for sleeping or a kitchens. If you think of it, it often not a pretty sight, especially for some visitors that are not sure what it's all about, but for camping folks this is a great family activity and some are hardcore campers that have camped every year for 20, 30 or more years.

During camping people basically relax and enjoy themselves mostly on the beach, but also with other activities such as fishing, dominoes, barbecue and visiting other campers nearby.

There are some who also 'camp' in hotels, 'roughing it out' in the comfort of a timeshare property or hotel resort.

Easter week remains a solemn event where most observe with respect, especially Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

TIP: Most isolated beaches in Aruba I can recommend:

Arashi Beach, and past it there are also some little hidden beaches.
Santo Largo in Pos Chiquito
Mangel Halto in Savaneta
Andicuri - On the North side of the island (beware as this is a rougher beach)