Observations on Religion in Nicaragua

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I wrote this blog while I was in the US over Christmas and New Year's. I have applied for, and been granted, an extension of my Peace Corps service until May of 2015 to complete some additional projects I have in mind and wait while my graduate school application is being processed. 

While I was home, the pastor of my church asked me to say a few words to my congregation about my experience in Nicaragua. I initially had no idea what I was going to say, but after brainstorming a bit during a car ride to see my grandfather, I came up with a mix of personal observations and experiences, history, and politics, with the idea of teaching the listeners a little bit about Nicaragua (NOT in Africa) and what religion is like there. Since I hand-wrote out everything I wanted to say so I wouldn’t be nervous (our pastor usually uses her ipad, I am behind the times!) I thought it would be nice to share as a blog post. So here goes!

God and Religion in Nicaragua

Two years and four months ago, I set off for Nicaragua to begin two years of Peace Corps service. As I’m sure you’ve no doubt hears, it is a challenging experience, yet also the most rewarding and fulfilling imaginable. As the old slogan proclaims, it is indeed ‘the toughest job you’ll ever love’.

Linda has asked me to say a few words about my experiences over the past two years, so I want to talk a little bit about the presence of God and religion in Nicaragua. But before I begin, I want to present a contrast from the headlines this week. The news story told of a man traveling on Christmas day, who was greeting by the American Airlines ticket checker with a cheerful ‘Merry Christmas’. He gruffly told her not to say that and stormed past her. Waiting for him at the door to the plane was a second flight attendant who issued a similar greeting. (Keep in mind, these employees were working on Christmas day, so it is remarkable in itself that they were of such good cheer.) The passenger again reprimanded the flight attendant and brushed by her. When a third flight attendant had the gall to again wish him a Merry Christmas, he completely lost it and began raving. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to calm him down, American Airlines decided to escort him off the plane, amidst cheering from the other passengers. This story saddens us, yet it reflects the current state of the continual debate in the United States today about the separation of church and state. Our government was founded in part to protect religious freedom, and has since evolved to become almost completely sterilized of all vestiges of religion; some people choose to take this to extremes, such as the passenger previously mentioned. In Nicaragua, this is NOT the case.

Let me give you a little orientation about Nicaragua before continuing, since more than one person thought I was going to Africa 28 months ago. It is actually located in Central America, bordered by El Salvador and Honduras to the north and Costa Rica (its more well-known neighbor) to the south. Nicaragua is known as the ‘Land of Lakes and Volcanoes’, for its two gigantic lakes and chain of volcanoes on the western coast. In the place where I live, I have both of these: I live in the middle of the bigger lake (Lake Nicaragua, or Cocibolca in the indigenous language of Nahuatl) on an island comprised of two volcanoes called Ometepe. Nicaragua shares a similar history with much of Latin America: discovered by Columbus around 1492 and subsequently conquered by the Spaniards. This clash of civilizations gave birth to a mixed race ‘mestiza’ culture that speaks Spanish. I need to add a disclaimer here that I am referring to the Hispanic part of Nicaragua, which is the western part of the country. The Atlantic Coast is a completely different story, which I unfortunately do not have time to address here, as it is not part of my direct experience.

One thing that the conquerors brought with them to the ‘New World’ was Catholicism. This was, of course, in the times of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and the Spanish Inquisition, and spreading Catholicism to all corners of the earth was item number one on the royal agenda. One of the strategies that early Catholic missionaries employed to help the religion gain acceptance among the indigenous population was to co-opt their religious practices in a process called syncretism. I have a theory that this is what led to the birth of a tradition called ‘La Purisima’ or ‘La Gritería’, though sometimes it is hard for me to distinguish between purely Catholic traditions and those unique to Nicaragua. La Purisima is celebrated the 9 days leading up to the Day of the Immaculate Conception, which I believe is on December 8^th. Every night, a different neighborhood in the community takes a turn to host the event. Those who wish attend a mass at 4:00 in the morning, after which they process with an idol of the Virgen Mary to the designated location for the day. The neighbors then work all day decorating the altar. They set up speakers which blast religious songs all day, letting the people know where the prayers will be that night. They string up wires and hang light bulbs and decorate the altar with flowers, branches, decorative vines, Christmas lights, paintings, fabrics, etc. One night when it was threatening rain, the Virgin sported an umbrella. The most impressive altar I’ve seen was a replica of the two volcanoes that comprise the island, with the active one lit up with red light and a fan blowing tissue paper so that it seemed to be erupting. The women in the neighborhood work all day preparing something to distribute to the people in attendance at the prayer in the evening. These offerings run the gamut from simple candies and chips purchased at the corner store, to a variety of typical foods in plastic baggies: tajadas (fried plantain slices with shredded cabbage salad and a chunk of either meat or cheese), fresco (fresh fruit juice), arroz a la valenciana (rice mixed with diced vegetables, hot dog chunks, and shredded chicken), nacatamales (homemade corn dough wrapped in plantain leaves with pork and vegetables and steamed for hours), and vigorón (fried pork skin with yucca and cabbage salad). On the last day of the celebration, even toys were distributed to the children.  Unfortunately for the virgin, I think more people attend these events for the food than for religious reasons, as I only observe a handful of people actually praying. At the appropriate time, the designated church elder takes up the microphone and begins the prayer, which usually includes the rosary, the Lord’s prayer, and other recited and extemporaneous prayers which I am unfamiliar with. This usually lasts between 30-45 minutes, and afterwards the music resumes while the people pass through the crowds distributing their foods. At this point firecrackers are also set off in great numbers, usually in a highly unsafe manner that on occasion sends onlookers dunning for cover. Occasionally you see el toro, which a friend of mine once dubbed ‘the most unsafe thing I’ve ever seen’. This consists of a cardboard covering that one holds over one’s head with horns, so that it vaguely resembles a bull. The surface of this box is then covered with a net of explosives that will instantly burst into sparks when lit, at which point the designated ‘bull’ will start running around dangerously close to the spectators and causing mayhem. Finally, the people process, usually accompanied by a small band, with the Virgin back to the church, where she waits to be brought to her next destination the following morning.

Another tradition that can be found in every community in Nicaragua is the celebration of the patron saints. Each community has a slightly unique way of celebrating, but there are some general themes. I enjoy the traditions from the community of Altagracia, whose patron saint is San Diego. On November 11^th, the idol of San Diego is moved from his home in the cathedral of Altagracia to another location on the island, which changes every year and can be up to 10 km away. There, those who wish maintain a vigil all night long, praying and eating intermittently. The following afternoon, San Diego heads back to Altagracia, accompanied by a tireless band, an endless amount of fancy ‘dancing’ horses with well-dressed riders (I still have no idea where they come from and when/how they come to the island), and hundreds of people on foot. The walkers dance the zompopo dance, which consists of holding a branch in the air and shaking it in rhythm. The zompopo is a type of insect that comes in plagues and devastates crops, and it is told that the people implored San Diego to stop a horrible plague one year by performing the dance, and he did so. Along the way, San Diego encounters a saint from a nearby community called Saint Marcos (from the community of Saint Marcos, fittingly) where they meet and dance joyfully, then continue on their way together. This procession signals the beginning of a week of parties which include bull riding every afternoon in the central plaza. Makeshift bullriding arenas are set up with bleachers to accommodate spectators, and an entry fee is charged. Bulls from surrounding communities are brought in, tied to a post, and brought to their knees while a brave soul (usually drunk) mounts, at which time it is released and expected to buck its rider. The bulls are not treated particularly badly (except the ones that get their balls tied up to make them angry, something I’m told is commonplace in the US) but I feel bad for them because all they want to do is get out of there. And the arena is always filled with scores of drunks who attempt to get the bull to go after them by waving things in its face and throwing trash at it, and when it feints toward them they rapidly climb the walls in terror.  In Altagracia, a small carnival with rides and games is set up, as is a makeshift discoteca. Always present are the chinamos, small establishments that sell food and more importantly alcohol, with plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate revelers.  So, in conclusion, the patron saint holidays are not terribly religiously-focused events, but they are very much a part of the tradition of every community.

As for how God and prayer are incorporated into everyday life, I have yet to attend an official gathering in which the first item on the agenda was NOT an invocation to God. Thanks are always given to God at the beginning of any speech, presentation, or competition. My soccer team always huddled to say a prayer before taking the field. A mass is always held before graduation ceremonies and to mark the infamous 15^th birthday parties of young girls. A whole night of praying, singing, and sharing food is held the night a person dies, followed by 8 additional nights of praying. Speaking of praying, something interesting I learned about the Spanish language is that there are two translations for the word ‘pray’: rezar refers to recited prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer, while orar refers to either extemporaneous or written prayers. Another interesting observation is that prayers are never recited in unison as they are in the United States; instead, each person says them individually as fast as possible in a sort of breathless race.

Nicaragua is not 100% Catholic, however. Following the global trend, evangelical churches have gained a foothold and are steadily growing. Most are started and sponsored by foreign churches, many from the US. Consequently, they have many of the characteristics of nondenominational churches here: bands, lots of contemporary music, and active youth groups. However, they also have a lot of stereotypical characteristics that might surprise some Americans; for example, some churches forbid women from wearing pants. Others completely ban dancing and alcohol consumption, by default thus branding Catholics as the fun, party-loving religion. Strange, right? Other denominations are also making inroads; I’ve seen churches for Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists on the island, was recently approached by Mormon missionaries while headed to the beach, and was on a ferry one time with some women in antiquated clothes and head coverings who were clearly missionaries of some sort. I even recently found out that there is a mosque in the capital city of Managua!

Moving outside of activities in which the main focus is religion, Christianity is something that has seeped into every aspect of life in Nicaragua, especially politics. The current ruling Socialist party of Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, are masters of propaganda, and have plastered slogans and images of President Daniel Ortega all over the country. One of  the most prominent displays are the massive billboards extolling the ‘regime’ and its slogan of ‘socialism, Christianity, prosperity’, something I’d sure would never fly over here. If you take the time to read the political slogans graffitied everywhere, you come across phrases such as ‘if God is with is, who could be against us?’ The Party has clearly recognized that  Christianity is an essential element in Nicaraguan culture, and that not appeal for the hearts and minds of the people could ever be successful without including God.

In everyday speech, ALL references to future plans or events are followed by the phrase si Diós quiere (God-willing) or Diós primero (God first), as if not to say one of these phrases would jinx the event. I admit I rolled my eyes at first every time I heard these phrases, because they seemed to belie a very pessimistic outlook on life when even a plan as simple as ‘see you tomorrow’ must be commended into the hands of God. But with time my perspective has changed and I’ve come to embrace the saying as a sort of protection against life’s many surprises and uncertainties, and it gives me a certain degree of comfort; it’s as if to show God that you really recognize that He has power over every aspect of our lives, and it is a continual reminder of this fact to both the speaker and the listener. Another common phrase in Nicaragua that’s used to bid farewell is Que Diós te bendiga’ (May God bless you). Even those with no religious inclinations whatsoever have no choice but to invoke God when they bid even the simplest of farewells, for the word adios contains the word for God, diós, within it. And it is absolutely impossible to avoid the religious bumper stickers etc that adorn ALL public buses and trucks, both inside and out (and often with atrocious spelling).

Peace Corps has been nothing if not an opportunity to learn and grow, and I have learned a LOT about the culture and its religious dimensions. I know I must say ‘God-willing’ when making references to the future. I know that it will be impossible to travel on religious holidays such s Good Friday and the Day of the Immaculate Conception because all of the bus drivers will be on holiday. I’ve learned to include a prayer at the beginning of all events I organize. I recognize that all scheduled events, including school, will be cancelled on the day that the bishop comes to visit. I’ve learned that a couple will have either one or two wedding ceremonies, one civil and one religious, with the religious one considered much more binding. I’ve learned to postpone all plans the night a community member dies so as to be able to attend their wake. I’ve memorized the rosary and the Lords’s Prayer in Spanish, even though I don’t fully know the rosary in English! I’ve discovered the futility of attempting to explain MY religion in a country where the words ‘evangelical’ and ‘Protestant’ are used interchangeably. And finally, I’ve discovered that participation in religious activities is the key to cultural integration, acquiring a deeper understanding of a culture, and truly knowing the heart and soul of a community.