Semana Santa=the Christian Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. This season is celebrated with great gusto here in Spain and we planned our trip during Easter so that we, too could experience it. I've attached a link that shares a little more detail re: Holy Week in Spain. The processions ranged from the simple to the elaborate, with each one including hooded penitants (different colors depending on the brotherhood), candles, drums/brass instruments played by various organizations, and platforms bearing images of the Passion. The photos (and later, the video) cannot aptly desribe what it was like. We observed processions in Toledo, Cordoba, Malaga, and Seville with each one being different from the last.
Some interesting facts (photos illustrate some of these...)
-The holy platforms can sometimes require up to 100 men to walk it through the streets. This is a huge honor.
-The largest amount of Nazerenos (hooded penitants) that we saw exceeded 400 in one procession.
-Processions began in the afternoon and some went through morning (although we never stayed out past 12am)
-The platforms bearing the holy images are stored in various churches during the year, and re-assembled for the next Holy Week.
-As the penitants walk with their large candles, children will run up to them with wax balls they have been adding to each year that they attend the festivities. The penitants drip wax onto the ball, causing it to grow in size.
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