Hello Ec friends!
Since I have learnt a lot about other traditions and amazing events in several countries around the world throught interesting blogs, and this is the most important week for Catholic people in Spain, I thought it is fair sharing this tradition in my country : )
Holy Week in Spain is the annual conmemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ wich is celebrated by “hermandades” (brotherhoods) that perform penance processions along the streets of every town.
Every brotherhood of the city carries “pasos” or floats with very heavy sculptures or images that represent different scenes of the Passion of Christ or Sorrows of The Virgin Maria. These floats are hold on the shoulder of every “costalero” (the person under the float who carries it).
My brotherhood is called “La Santa Cena” and our floats are carried by 36 people although some of them need more than one hundred. These people are ruled by the “capataz” who guide them.
I`m the 7th in the left row :D
Many of this images on the floats are art pieces created by old famous Spanish sculptors, all over from the XVII century.
The “pasos” (floats) are usually accompanied by marching bands devoted to the images and brotherhoods. “Nazarenos” also accompany them, they are people wearing a tunic and a hood with conical tip.
Holy Week can differ in every region, for example, the glamorous celebrations in Andalussia contrast with the more sombre and solemn processions in Castilla Leòn.
There are other issues related to the Holy Week like the Catholic season of fasting, typical foods and desserts or several Catholic events in churches.
Summing up, Holy Week is one of the most spectacular and all over emotional events in Spain. Religious devotion, art, music and also silence, mix each other to commemorate the death of Christ in the processions.
Although I`m not the most religious person, I assure you that carrying my image under the float while introducing it into the church while trompets, drums and clarinets are playing around to the image, is something indescribable. At the end, every costalero, thrilled and sore, hug and congratulate each other.
Here you can watch a small part of the procession in Sevillehttp://youtu.be/cL6cSNSmAro
By the way, feel free to ask me about this matter if it interests you and thanks for reading.
Comments
I know this sounds like weird for those who don't know it, but I'm glad you liked it. Hope you can see it here some day :)
Thank you, Estanis for sharing
It is really interesting
Progress and technology shouldn't affect our traditions, I believe they are perfectly compatible. As for our kids, in my case I try to teach them about traditions and values although I know they'll have their own opinion when they'll be older. It's a fact of life.
Btw, glad to see you again :)
Very nice blog and beautiful pics. We should teach the children respect different traditional celebrations and technology must not effect on traditional ceremonies.
they are people carrying the float, like in the other pics. They don't wear a veil but hood, They usually cover their faces while procession time. They can be men or women and move the 'image' (float) according to the music the band is playing.
Some of them are barefooted as a pledge.
The order of the 'costaleros' in the float is the shorter ahead and the taller behind and their tunics differs in every brotherhood.
Thanks for your interest.
Thanks so much for your comment, btw there are also some plays in the streets of some towns wich revive scenes from that age.
Glad to see you :)
Btw, 'costaleros' are needed to carry my paso so Write it down to come next year, O.K.?
Wow! Watching people wearing ancient cloths is exciting! looking at these pictures , my mind goes back to 2000 years ago, thanks Estanis for the nice pictures and blog. I really enjoyed reading and learning about other traditions specialy Spain.
OK then tell me about those who who wear black veil on first picture of your blog.
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