| "Fireworks, music, brass bands, dancers, floats, toys, carnival groups, “hachoneros” (people who guard the floats), a concert of whistles… All of these come together in a night of madness and magic, when everybody without exception, fights for a toy."
Murcia Festivals by spain-map.com |
Image Source: http://www.nd.edu/
~intlstud/locations/spain/
toledo_news_April04.htm
Image Source: http://www.giraldacenter.
com/study_spanish/nino_
semana_santa.jpg
Image Source: http://www.idealspain.com/
Photos/semana/
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Image Source: http://www.elalmanaque.
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pasion.jpg
"As a procession enters its church after the long symbolic journey, a hush falls over the crowd as a lone man on a balcony sings an emotional saeta. In a throng of thousands one can hear a coin drop as tired costaleros sometimes scoot on their knees to carry enormous floats through small doors and to their resting place until the next year." -- http://www.auburn.edu
/~jfdrake/teachers/
gould/easter.html
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Murcia  Capital of Murcia: 
 Notable for the nocturnal processions and the pasos (religious images) by the sculptor Francisco Salzillo. The lights from the sky, candles and lanterns, the scent of orange blossom and incense, colour, music and art all mingle, offering a feats for the senses. The festival's popular rhyme goes something like this :
"Who in Holy Week / does not give out candy / will not be pardoned by God / Nor would go to heaven." |
Because of this rhyme, or copla as it is called, the "capuchinos" (the hooded Nazarene men) carry under their colorful tunics sweets that they give away. "El Paso de la Cena" (the passing of the Communion) is a spectacular thing, which commemorates the Holy Communion of Christ by placing diverse dishes on fine handmade table clothes.
On the afternoon of Holy Wednesday, the coloraos (reds), in reference to the colour of their tunics, parade the streets in the colour of blood.
On the night of Maundy Thursday the city lights are turned off as the procession of silence passes by, surrounding the streets in an aura of breathtaking devotion only interrupted by the voices of the “Auroros” and the choirs singing to the “Cristo del Refugio.”
The procession of “Los Salzillos” is on the morning of Good Friday. Nazarenes wear purple tunics and many go barefoot, carrying crosses on their shoulders for more than eight hours while they walk the streets of Murcia.
On the first Tuesday after Easter, the opening of the Spring Fiestas are celebrated with Bando de la Huerta. Here, Murcia will makes merry to celebrate the arrival of spring and the end of Lent. Besides the grand parade ,the spring fiesta is distinguished by groups or “peñas” of huerfanos, or people from the Huerat, who perform in the most important squares and parks.
The the Murcian Spring Parade is well known for its floats decorated with flowers. It is a Carnaval atmosphere seeking to engulf native and visitor alike into its atmosphere of joy.
Saturday after Easter Sunday brings the burial of the Sardine, the familiar Spanish conclusion to Carnaval, referencing the fasting traditions of Lent. It is a night of magic and madness punctuated by Carnival groups, brass bands, fireworks and more.
Lorca (Murcia):
Famous for its colourful horse parades featuring well trained Spanish stallions.
On the Eve of Holy Friday, the "Auroros" sing their unique "Correlativas", and the celebrations continue when Nero, Vespasian, Tiberius, and even Cleopatra, and carried throughout the streets in processions on the night of Holy Friday.
Also there is competition between two regional virgin pasos for best colorful adornment; these are the "Blue" (the Virgin of the Dolores--Sufferings), and the "White" (the Virgin of the Amarguras--Bitterness).
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Palencia (Castille)
Home to five of the oldest penitential fraternities: Santo Sepulcro (originally of San Francisco from the 15th century), la Vera Cruz (16th century), Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, Nuestra Madre la Virgen de la Amargura (1604) and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (1657). The high point is the float procession which is part of el Santo Entierro (the holy burial); there is a also a large procession the day before. Another popular traditional event is La llamada de Hermanos (the brothers' call), which summons the fraternity members by blowing the cornet and banging on their doors with sticks during the nights of the Semana de Pasión. Finally, la Procesión del Rompimiento del velo (the procession of the tearing of the veil), marks the end of Holy Week and announces the resurrection of Christ, among explosions of firecrackers, the tolling of bells, and the giving out or bread rolls, almond and lemonade.
Peñafiel (Valladolid):
Amongst many celebrations that take place in this city, probably the most important one is the "Descent of the Angel." A child dressed as an angel on Resurrection Sunday is lowered through pulleys to the image of the Virgin, removing the veil that covers her face and setting doves free. Then a deafening outcry is set free by the city folk who witness the event. (This same act is carried in Aranda del Duero y Tudela, where this act is called the "Bajadica"--the lowering. In some other places the child is lowered from the tower clock of the central plaza, such as in Cartagena).
Segovia (Castille)
One of the most spectacular events is the procession of the Vía Crucis Penitencial, in the convent where the poet Fray Juan de Yepes went in search of the sonorous solitude of God. Also worth seeing is the procession from San Marcos, which carries the image of Cristo Crucificado (Christ on the Cross) across the bridge and over the river Eresma via El Pinarillo, where there is a 15th century Jewish cemetery. The procession is open to all kinds of interpretations, as it also carries the dead body of Christ to la Vista del Alcázar, the city wall and the cathedral. On Friday, in the Plaza de Santa Eulalia, the Sermón de las Siete Palabras and the Vía Crucis Penitencial are held, and in the afternoon there is a meeting of fraternity members for the Procesión de los Pasos, a procession of some ten floats which finishes at the emblematic Roman aqueduct. The Misa de Resurrección on Saturday in the Hieronymite monastery of El Parral is also recommended.
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Photos courtesy of
valenciavalencia.com |
Valencia
From
valenciavalencia.com:
Valencia celebrates its Semana Santa on the narrow
atmospheric streets of its maritime district of Cabanyal. The
festivities in Valencia are known as, perhaps, the most
colourful in Spain, with 28 Brotherhoods taking to the streets,
each with their own uniform, regalia and “imagenes”, including
three “armed Brotherhoods” dressed in Napoleonic grenadier
uniform and dedicated to the French troops who took the statue
of the Virgin under their protection in 1812.
The district comes alive for 10 days with all those Brotherhoods
in busy traffic of processions, with a theme to each day. Friday
of Pain is dedicated to the pain of the Mother and represented
by the Brotherhoods
dedicated to the Virgin, the “armed Brotherhoods” amongst those.
This is followed by Saturday of Passion when the legionnaires
take to the streets. Palm Sunday sees all of the Brotherhoods on
the streets in a joyful mood and with palm branches, to
celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. On Holy Monday and
Tuesday the Brotherhoods carry their “imagenes” (platforms
supporting a scene of Christ’s Passions) around the
neighbourhood.
Wednesday sees some very curious processions. One of the rarest
Semana Santa uniforms – that of Byzantine Crusader infantry,
plus a guard of Roman soldiers to receive the imagen of Jesus
Nazareno in the Iglesia de
los Angeles. Other Brotherhoods lead processions for world
peace, for the forsaken, for the repenting and for compassion.
Thursday sees the first “acto colectivo” – a major procession
that involves all of the 28 Brotherhoods. Acto de Profecia is an
energetic, charismatic march with much music to announce the
coming festivity. At midnight the mood sharply swings to tragic
silence. Several Processions of Silence move through the night
with torches, not a single word muttered by the hooded members,
only the solemn drum setting the pace.
Friday is by far the biggest event – the somber Procession of
the Holy Burial, where all 28 Brotherhoods come out in full
colours, making it the most colourful celebration of Semana
Santa in Spain. It is also a chance to see all of the “imagenes”
together in a sequence telling the story of
Christ’s Passions. But before that all of the Brotherhoods will
gather in 4 separate parishes to make a Via Crucis procession,
commemorating Jesus’ path to the top of Golgotha.
Finally, the mood is again jubilant and energetic on Easter
Sunday when the members take off their hoods and march with
flowers and music in the Parade of Resurrection. |
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The Cautivo, the procession of the Virgen del Rocíon, takes place on Monday. Semana Santa Tuesday features the imprisonment of el Moreno, known as the Christ of the Gypsies. On the Wednesday of Holy Week, a prisioner is pardoned as part of the ceremonies of Nuestro Padre Jesús Rico. The canticles of the legionnaires who accompany the Cristo de la Buena Muerte resound in the streets of the city on Maundy Thursday. Never miss the arrival of The Legion to the port, which usually comes at 11 o'clock on a boat from Melilla. 
Rosell Virgin (former patron saint of Cartagena) and its current patron saint, the Charity Virgin. The first mass is held on the patron saint's feast day.
when money for the procession expenses were raised by selling grilled shark on Good Friday. Today, their most important procession takes place on the evening of Good Friday, with the Procession of the Blessed Burial (Procesion del Santo Entierro). All the best vestments and artwork, including contemporary work by Capuz, is put on display. The Bishop of Cartagena and the entire Town Council accompany the spectacular golden, jeweled throne of Santo Sepulchro.
