Off topic: Spain celebrates Easter Week
Thread poster: Maria Luisa Duarte
Maria Luisa Duarte
Maria Luisa Duarte
Spain
Local time: 09:34
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Mar 20, 2005

Hi all "Semana Santa" starts and for the next two weeks more than half of Spain moves from one place to another.

Spain celebrates Easter Week much more than most European countries. During the whole of Semana Santa, (Holy Week), street processions are organised in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

People carry statues of saints around on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning - which can seem quite oppressive to on
... See more
Hi all "Semana Santa" starts and for the next two weeks more than half of Spain moves from one place to another.

Spain celebrates Easter Week much more than most European countries. During the whole of Semana Santa, (Holy Week), street processions are organised in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

People carry statues of saints around on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning - which can seem quite oppressive to onlookers - and the Easter week processions end with Easter Sunday, a day full of light and colour when church and cathedral bells are heard ringing throughout the country.


In some of the processions, marchers wear clothes reminiscent of the klu klux klan. Infact their clothes are meant to depict the Nazareños, people from Nazareth. The religious fraternities and brotherhoods are responsable for carrying the statues and organising the penitents and musicians. The Nazareños follow the people who carry the floats bearing sculptures and models of biblical scenes.

The people who carry the weight of the floats are called "costaleros" and are expected the carry these "thrones" with solemnity and grace. They use a small cushion, "costal" to protect themselves from getting sores from the wood rubbing against their skin during the long processions.
The most famous Easter celebrations are held in various Andalusian towns, Valladolid, Toledo, Segovia, Burgos, Zamora and Cuenca.

http://www.ozimages.com.au/PLightbox.asp?ID=1108
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Juan R. Migoya (X)
Juan R. Migoya (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:34
English to Spanish
Sin olvidar.... Mar 20, 2005

a Sevilla!))

 
Nils Vanbellingen
Nils Vanbellingen  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:34
German to Dutch
+ ...
"ku klux klan" clothes Mar 21, 2005

Maria Luisa Duarte wrote:



In some of the processions, marchers wear clothes reminiscent of the klu klux klan. Infact their clothes are meant to depict the Nazareños, people from Nazareth. The religious fraternities and brotherhoods are responsable for carrying the statues and organising the penitents and musicians. The Nazareños follow the people who carry the floats bearing sculptures and models of biblical scenes.



In fact, those "ku klux klan" clothes worn during the Semana find their roots in the times of the plague. Volunteers helping out people infected by the plague wore these clothes to prevent themselves from getting infected as well. Or so I've read


Anyways, would've loved to go to Sevilla this week, but I have to work...so I'll just stay here in Estepona and watch the processions in this area.


 


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Spain celebrates Easter Week






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