Throughout much of the Spanish-speaking world including Costa Rica, there is no more important time of year than Holy Week. The week begins with Palm Sunday (el Domingo de Ramos), includes Good Friday (el Viernes Santo), and ends with Easter (la Pascua de Resurrección). Known as Semana Santa, the week marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem followed by his death and resurrection.

Unfortunately, Semana Santa has lost part of it’s true significance in Central America. Many people use this holiday as an excuse go to the beach to party and consume a lot of liquor. Even through Good Thursday and Friday are dry (la ley seca) people still stock up on their favorite spirits well in advance. As a result, scores of people die in car crashes, drownings and other alcohol-related incidents during Holy Week. Instead of Semana Santa some refer to the time of year as “La Semana de matanza,” or “the week of slaughter” because of the number of people who die tragically.

Easter Vocabulary

Ash Wednesday – el Miércoles de Ceniza
chocolate egg – el huevo de chocolate
Crucify – crucificar
Colored egg – el huevo de color
Crucifix – el Crucifijo
Decorated egg – huevo decorado
Easter – la Pascua
Easter basket – canasta de Pascua
Easter break – vacaciones de Semana Santa
Easter bunny – el conejito de Pascua
Easter egg – huevo de Pascua
Easter egg hunt – la búsqueda de huevos de Pascua
Easter Mass – la Misa de Pascua
Easter Saturday – Sábado Santo, Sábado de Gloria
Easter Sunday – el Domingo de Pascua, Domingo de Resurrección
Good Friday – Viernes Santo
Happy Easter Felices Pascuas
Holy Week Semana Santa
Lent Cuaresma
Palm Sunday – Domingo de Ramos
Passion of Christ – la Pasión de Cristo
Resurrection – la Resurrección

Tiquismos

I couldn’t resist including these egg-related expressions and Tiquismos. I hope they don’t offend anyone.
A puro huevo – with a lot of effort
Ahuevarse – to be come discouraged or disappointed
Cabeza de huevo – egghead
Lamehuevos – an as kisser (vulgar)
Hombre de pelo en pecho y huevos por derecho – a real man
Huevón – a lazy, useless person. It can also mean stupid.
Huevonada – something stupid
Huevos – eggs but can be a synonym for “balls” or testicles
Huevos pateados – scambled eggs. Huevos revueltos or picados are used more frequently
Huevos tibios – a coward (vulgar)
Huevo tierno – soft-boiled egg
Manda huevo que + the subjunctive tense means impossible, no way. Manda huevo que caiga nieve en Costa Rica. It’s impossible for snow to fall in Costa Rica (On rare occasions a little snow has fallen at the top the Cero de la Muerte)
Me cae en los huevos – I don’t like someone (vulgar)
Me tiene hasta los huevos – I am fed up with someone (very vulgar)
Meterse entre huevo y huevo – to have something on mind or be obsessed with something
No matar la gallina que pone los heuvos de oro – just like in English. “Don’t kill the hen (goose) that lays the golden eggs.”
¡No seas tan huevón !– Don’t be so stupid!
Poner todos los huevos en una canasta – to put all of one’s eggs in one basket. You can also say “Poner toda la carne en el asador.” (put all of the meat on the barbecue) or “Apostar todo a un caballo” (bet it all on one horse).
Tamaño huevón – a big man or boy (vulgar)
Tener a alguien de los huevos – to bother someone a lot (vulgar)
Tener los huevos bien puestos – to be brave (vulgar)
Tener los huevos por el cuello – to be scared (vulgar)
Tener los huevos rayados – to be brave

Saintly expressions

Alzarse con el santo y la limosna – to steal everything
Comerse los santos – to be a religious fanatic
Desnudar un santo para vestir a otro – to rob Peter to pay Paul
No ser santo de mi devoción – to not like someone or one’s cup of tea
Perder el santo y la limosna to lose everything
Se le va el santo al cielo – to forget something
Tener el santo de cara – to have good luck
Tener el santo de espalads – to have bad luck
Quedarse par vestir santos – to be an old maid