Semana Santa (Holy Week) has been in progress since Sunday, with nightly processions beginning in different locations around Vejer.
Easter celebrations
in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries are highly distinctive, most of all in
Andalucía, where affected bystanders can sometimes be seen to weep as the
processions pass by. The first Semana Santa processions were recorded in the 12th century
Two features dominate the Semana Santa parades; the ‘tronos’ – large floats
depicting members of the holy family and the ‘penitentes’ or ‘nazarenos’ in their
pointed-hood robes. There may also be a marching band to urge things along, though in some towns, the procession is conducted in spectral, spooky silence.
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| Semana Santa procession, Vejer |
Some ‘tronos’, (sometimes also known as ‘pasos’) may have considerable
value, having been created by well-known artists. Although some of the large ‘tronos’
in Malaga and Seville are carried through the streets by up to 250 ‘costaleros’,
counting the feet, I’d guess that Vejer’s 3 ‘tronos’ each require about fifty
men to carry them.
This requires a significant investment of manpower, and in the past,
costaleros were recruited from dock workers and other muscular types. Nowadays,
they are drawn from the many different religious brotherhoods. Surprisingly, even in our less religious age, the supply of
volunteers does not seem to dry up.
The ‘penitentes’ are also members of religious brotherhoods, and their
other name, ‘nazarenos’ derives from the robes they wear, which were developed
to allow medieval penitents freedom from recognition. The different colours of
the robes reflect the colours of each individual brotherhood. Many walk
barefoot, sometimes dragging crosses or chains. Participation in the
processions is a matter of family tradition - actor Antonio Banderas returns to
Malaga almost every year to take part in the ‘penitentes’ parade, the only time
in the year when he can walk the streets of his home town unmolested.
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| Semana Santa, Lorca |
Although the most dramatic processions can be seen in Andalucía, Spain’s most unique Semana Santa celebrations probably take place
in Lorca in Murcia. Casting aside all pretence of brotherly reconciliation, their processions take the form of a
fierce contest between two of its
fraternities, the Royal and Illustrious
Confraternity of Our Lady of the Rosary, the ‘White’ group and the Brotherhood of Farmers of Lorca, the ‘Blue’ group.
Disdaining the logical preference for Christian images on this occasion, the Lorca celebrations feature large scale depictions of scenes from the Roman Empire, using horses, chariots and enormous floats. The event is so spectacular that it has been nominated as part of the Intangible Heritage of Mankind.
Easter is also marked by Passion plays, often involving the whole community, though Vejer does not have one of its own. One of the most famous takes place in Riogordo, Malaga, on Easter Saturday and Sunday, but there are smaller events in the province of Cadiz.
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| Maximón of Guatemala |
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| The Passion Play of Riogordo
Naturally, Semana Santa is celebrated in Latin America, which has evolved some
fascinating traditions of its own, sometimes influenced by pre-Christian religions. One of the most interesting examples is Maximón, from Guatemala, a puppet who eats, smokes, drinks and likes to wear silk scarves. He is given great respect during Semana Santa.
Another, most beautiful feature of the Guatemalan Holy Week is the ‘alfombras’, ornate carpets of dyed sand or sawdust which are laid down in front of the great processional floats. They take hours to create, yet are destroyed in just a few minutes.
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