Holy Week in Spain----Unique!!

Old Mar 14th, 2008, 04:30 AM
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Holy Week in Spain----Unique!!

Spain has a long tradition of religious celebrations (although we are at present one of the most laicist and non-Christian countries in the world). During Holy Week, and also some days before it, there are religious processions all over Spain. The most famous are in Seville, Málaga, Zamora, Valladolid, etc, but even small towns celebrate in this peculiar way the death of Christ.

Here are some pictures of our Semana Santa http://www.20minutos.es/galeria/999/0/23/

if you google Semana Santa will find lots of pics about it.

By the way, for most of us is just another vacation period (in the BAsque Country, from WEd 19 to Mon 24 incl, not bad...)
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 04:50 AM
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Mikel, ours is a laicist society , sure (and I like it to be this way!!) but "non-christian" looks akward to me, I mean, it can be read we are budhists I think you wanted to say "non-religious" which is absolutely true. Anyway, our traditions are for the most part of christian origin...like Holy Week or Christmas.
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 05:04 AM
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WOW WOW WOW! Awesome photos, mikelg! Thank you so much for posting these.

I was in Seville a few years ago for the entire week of Semana Santa. The days leading up to the processionals, we were able to visit the churches and see the floats.

On one particular day, we were standing near the entrance to one of the churches. It took them about a half hour to get the float out of the church, down the few steps, and turn the corner just to begin.

But watching the processionals was so beautiful and moving. Absolutely unforgetable.

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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 05:23 AM
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Of course, kenderina, I did mean "non religious"...
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 08:57 AM
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Fantastic images !
However, I may cry now. I took 8 rolls of slide film of Semana Santa processions in Segovia, Salamanca and Avila only to have my camera bag and film stolen on Easter morning in Madrid. I always have wondered how good they may have been.
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 09:49 AM
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We'll be in Barcelona, arrive Good Friday, stay til the next Friday. What can you tell me about events there? Thanks!
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 12:21 PM
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Well, Good Friday is a holiday and in Catalonia Easter Monday is also a holiday. In Barcelona itself there are some processions but the most known celebrations in Catalunya are the "passions", theatre representations (big spectacle) of Christ's passion held in some villages where all the roles are played by people from the village. Some of them like Esparraguera or Olesa are famous.
Maybe you should ask at your hotel and they will probably have more info on events held in Barcelona.
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 12:56 PM
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Stunning photos, thank you so much for posting this link. Wow!
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 01:22 PM
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Hola mikel,
That's a nice 5 day holiday break that you have up there!

Thanks for the link to those really moving photos.

We'll be in Madrid on Wed.-Thurs., in Burgos for Good Friday (our first Semana Santa there) and in Logroño for Easter (another first Easter Sunday there for us). Just hope the weather stays nice so that we can take some really good pictures of the procesions.
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 02:02 PM
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It is not very good weather what the news are saying unfortunately..they say rain and chilly weather is coming from Wednesday. I hope they are wrong !

You really like Logroño, Maribel !!! What a shame I have never been there !
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Old Mar 14th, 2008, 02:58 PM
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Hi kenderina,
Yep, sure do like it. We go there 2 or 3 times a year-a very pleasant, attractive, slow-paced provincial capital with friendly people.
(But the real attraction for us is the WINE! )

Do you have processions every day or night during Semana Santa in Castellón?
(In Pamplona they're not every day).
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 01:47 AM
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There are several live representations of the Passion of Christ, all over Spain. In the Basque area there is one in Balmaseda, another one in Arkotxa and another in Berango, Lagrán,..., to my knowledge. They are very realistic, sometimes too realistic.

Maribel, IŽll be with my family near Madrid, in Gascones (www.lacasadelaluna.com), and plan to do some sightseeing in the sierra and will end up in Burgos on Sunday. Not sure about the weather, rain probably...
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 05:11 AM
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No,not every day, Maribel. In fact, only two days : Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Not big events, though. There is a passion representation in a village nearby , Borriol, which atracts a lot more people It's not held in a theatre..but in the village streets and it's really moving.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 09:47 AM
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hi mikel,
Those apartments would be good for us to rent sometime. They're very well priced. We really like that area of the sierra norte too. I enjoy the nice walk down to the Ermita de San Frutos in the Parque de las Hoces del Duratón, right at the gorge-so beautiful. We'll be in the Pedraza environs the following weekend. Too bad our paths won't cross!
Hope we all don't have daily rain!

kenderina,
The only live Pasión I've ever seen was in Chinchón on Holy Saturday. I'm really not too familiar with your area at all, so maybe I should make more visits to the Comunitat Valenciana than to the Rioja. It's time to expand horizons. O
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 10:34 AM
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WOW! That is the most incredible set of images I have seen in a long time. Bravo!
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Old Mar 16th, 2008, 11:58 PM
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More pictures, from yesterdayŽs procession of the Borriquito (little donkey) in Bilbao, Palm Sunday. YouŽll notice that there are almost no images of saints ("pasos") in this procession.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1114398...7604139548403/
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Old Mar 17th, 2008, 05:24 AM
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Mikelg,

Thanks so much, I am really enjoying your pictures.
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Old Mar 17th, 2008, 05:31 AM
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Very nice, mikelg. Thanks so much for your continued posting of the pictures. I'm really enjoying them.
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Old Mar 17th, 2008, 09:09 AM
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Hi, My daughter will be in Sevilla on Good Friday and in Madrid on Easter Sunday. Anywhere special she should be to enjoy the Spanish festivities regarding Easter? Thanks in advance
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Old Mar 17th, 2008, 10:44 AM
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No doubt youŽll find a lot of info on SevillaŽs Holy Week, the most famous in Spain, something worth seeing once in your lifetime (too much people, though...)

Regarding Madrid, I reckon there wonŽt be any processions on Easter Sunday, as they finish on Friday.
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