All schools and some businesses are shut down this week for Holy Week, and every evening there are processions parading through the streets.
If you are interested in a little more info on Semana Santa, read on…
Semana Santa dates back to the 16th century when the Church decided to present the story of the Passion of Christ in a way that the layperson could understand. It was decided that the best way to do this would be a series of processions through the streets, depicting scenes from the story of the fall and rise again of Jesus Christ. Today it involves a lot of money and glamour. I’m not sure how much is depicted other than who’s who in the Catholic Church, and who has the best procession, costumes and floats.
Most processions include two floats, which are very heavy. Strong men carry the floats, and trade off throughout the procession since they last for hours. We talked to a Spaniard last night who will be helping to carry a float tonight, and he described it as a great thrill to hear the band music from underneath, but very tiring to help carry the float. The float rests on the heads of many men, and he said that each man carries around 60-90 pounds.
The tall hats worn are not Ku Klux Klan. It is said that early KKK members saw the Semana Santa celebrations and adopted the costume, so impressed were they by the effect the design had on onlookers.
Check our blog later this week for more pictures, or check out April of last year if you want to see some pictures and video now.
We did see a procession in our neighborhood last night, and the kids were SO excited, as you can see by Ellie’s expression. It was too dark to get good pictures.
A few days ago, we went out for Tapas (Spanish appetizer-type foods) with our neighbors Cesar and Cristina. We’re sad they’ll be leaving in a few weeks to study in England for a few months. They’ll be moving back to Granada this summer, but to a different apartment, so we probably won’t get to see them as often.
I especially enjoyed this graffiti art.
