More on Semana Santa...

So I’ve become a fanatic of Semana Santa – like a little child so excited to see and experience everything! Just ask Kirsten…I’m sure she got sick of going to so many processions. I wanted to see them all! When I get excited about something I REALLY get excited about it! We were able to see quite a few, so here’s some more pictures from the different days of Holy week.

Each procession has the basics, each in a bit different way. Each procession belongs to a certain brotherhood, who prepare the whole year for the procession. The procession starts out with someone carry a giant cross, then people carrying candles and/or crosses, then people waving around incense, then the giant image from Christ’s life, then the band playing music, then more people carrying candles, then the mantillas (women dressed in black carrying rosaries with a lace scarf worn over the head and shoulders), then the Virgin Mary to end the procession. Each brotherhood has their own colors and such. Also, some of the people go barefoot...

These are the typical ways that the Virgin and Christ are portrayed. There were big posters on the side of a church where I took these pictures.

Here a couple images that I took inside of a church taking a break from the processions.

Sábado de Pasión (Saturday of Passion)
We didn’t go to any processions because we went to Granada instead…see below…

Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)
See post below titled “Semana Santa” for pictures from this day…..but, here are a few more pictures.

Lunes Santo (Holy Monday)
I caught snippets of 3 different processions this day, but didn’t get to see much cause I had to catch the bus back home. What an ordeal too! I was running all over the joint to figure out where to catch it. They changed the bus stops, you see, because of the processions and it was a bit confusing…but I finally made it. I didn't get very many good pictures because it was dark and I was a bit far away.

Martes Santo (Holy Tuesday)
We didn’t see any processions this day. What a shame!

Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday)
Both of the processions we saw this day began at the Cathedral.

Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday)
Unfortunately, not many of the processions occurred this day because of the rain. Two were canceled and the third only made it part of the route. We went to watch one at a church close to where I live and waited for almost an hour, but they decided not to go through with it. I was in a prime spot to take pictures too, dang it! That’s one thing when I really like being tall!! They brought out the images just barely out the door of the church for the people to see and that’s it. There were people crying…for good reason too! A year of hard work all for nothing….

Viernes Santo (Holy Friday)
This was a much more solemn day for the processions because this was obviously the day that Christ died. All of the brotherhoods wore black clothing, there was less music and less cheering from the crowd watching. We went to the carrera official (the main street) to watch the processions where they had rows and rows of bleachers set up. It was nice to sit for a change instead of standing, as well as eat a delicious kebab as we waited! We stayed out till about midnight watching the processions. They were interesting to say the least. There was a black cross draped with white cloth. The main image we saw was of Christ inside a glass case. I'm not gonna lie, it was all a bit creepy with so much silence and blackness...

Sábado de Gloria (Saturday of Glory)
There aren’t any processions this day…the only day out of the whole week.

Domingo de Resurrección (Day of Resurrection)
Instead of going to processions (I guess I had finally seen enough....) we went to church of course!