Semana Santa in Andalucía
Experience the very special atmosphere, one of the most authentic, intense and traditional Spanish celebrations!
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As we are enjoying the sunny days in the south of Spain, we are approaching Easter — the traditional Holy Week, or as we say here; Semana Santa
Experience the very special atmosphere, one of the most authentic, intense and traditional Spanish celebrations!
The most famous events during those days are the processions, taking place during the whole week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday in almost every Spanish city and town, with the main procession normally held on Good Friday.
Organized by brotherhoods, so called “hermandades” or “cofradías”, processions originate mainly in the Middle Age, while some of them were created during the Baroque Period and inspired by the Counterreformation. They all belong to a certain church community and consist of several hundred up to thousand participants taking part in the “paso”.
They carry the famous “Tronos” — floats representing the Passion of Christ or the Sorrows of Virgin Mary, some of them being art pieces created by Spanish artists and preserved for centuries. Some floats with a weight of more than 5000 kilos have to be carried by more than 250 members. Some participants, called “Nazarenos”, are dressed with a penitential robe, consisting of a tunic, a hood with a conical tip and sometimes a cloak, allowing them to demonstrate their penance while concealing their face. Some of them walk barefoot, some wear shackles or even chains, while carrying processional candles or rough-hewn wooden crosses. Groups of women dressed in black, wearing black veils according to a strict protocol also follow the floats.
Processions, accompanied by music bands normally start at the church of the respective brotherhood and follow a route programmed for the Penitential Act. A very special variation are the silent processions (Procesiones del Silencio), where the only light comes from candles carried by participants, and the sound of drums creates a mystic atmosphere.
In some parts of the country, representatives of the Roman Legion follow the processions.
So don´t miss this very special event, as also the Easter week in Huelva is called a “Celebration of National Touristic Interest”.
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Originally published at www.tlcspain.com on April 1, 2015.
