Easter Week

What?

Easter Week, known in Spain as Semana Santa, is a religious celebration to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But in Andalusia, it is much, much more. This is one of the high points of popular traditional culture and a tourist attraction due to its visual extravagance. The streets of towns and cities throughout the South are transformed for eight days to express religious fervour through imagery and statures, carried through the streets to the delight of faithful Catholic worshipers. “It is an intimate experience. There are no mediators or clergy standing between the believer and God”, explains Pedro Merino, once a pregonero (town crier) during Easter Week in Malaga.

When?

During the first weeks of spring, although the exact date changes every year. The celebrations begin on Palm Sunday and last until Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday). There are processions every day in-between. Nevertheless, the most important days are Thursday and Good Friday. During the dawn of Good Friday, known as la Madrugá, you’ll see hundreds of processions throughout the streets.

Where?

The array of culture on display is staggering. From cities such as Seville and Malaga, where the most famous celebrations are held, to towns and villages such as Úbeda, Carmona and Écija, tourists and residents flock to take part in the festivities. The processions, or pasos, are organized by religious clubs called cofradias, or brotherhoods. Each centres around one, two or three sculptural ensembles housed throughout the year in a local church and brought out for one night to parade in all their splendour. Each statue, which can weigh up to 1,200 kilos, is carried by scores of men for hours on end. Each procession is accompanied by one or many musical bands who interpret the brotherhood music, and are followed by a band of devotee penitents, or nazareños, men and women wearing cone-shaped hoods that cover their faces. These processions illuminate the streets by candlelight.

History

Holy Week was first celebrated in the 15th century and saw an explosion of popularity in the 17th century. In the beginning, the recreation of the passion of Christ was more spectacular, but in the 18th century these practices of self-flagellation were banned. These days the only remnants of this practice are the hermanos de luz , or brothers of light, who accompany the processions holding images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.

To mimic the appearance if the clergy, the nazarenos began to wear traditional tunics, usually purple. As an expression of repentance they cover their faces to retain their anonymity and wear a pointed hood. The Silence Brotherhood in Seville first introduced this headwear. Their sacrifice is to carry baroque images, wooden crosses and candles as a demonstration of their devotion. The bearers, known as costaleros, train for several months to be able to support the wear throughout one never-ending night.

What are the cofradías?

The cofradías, or brotherhoods, are groups of believers that centre on a particular icon, a particular statue of Christ or a Virgin. These icons are vehicles for their relationship with God. In some respects the brotherhoods have become powerful lobbies with immense social weight and often help their members during difficult times. Senior members are often people of great power and influence. “These figures are not mannequins. They are a means of expression. A diluted product that aims to provoke heightened emotions on an aesthetic and religious level”, explains Merino.

The following figure is an indication of the strength of these religious celebrations: over 100,000 penitents, nazarenos, take part in Andalusia alone. There are 59 brotherhoods in Seville, about 40 in Malaga, 36 in Cordoba, and 32 in Granada. The strongest cofradías in Seville include El Gran Poder, la Macarena, la Esperanza de Triana, El Cachorro and el Silencio, while in Malaga the names to look out for are La Esperanza, El Cautivo and la Buena Muerte.

What are the costaleros?

The sculptural ensembles, or pasos, can weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 kilos and are carried by the costaleros. A team of about 36 men carry up to 45 kilos each for several hours (they even take out insurance in case of accidents and lesions!). Rehearsals begin after Christmas, when the foreman calculates the heights and strength of his team. The floats are carried by: the costeros (at the back), the fijadores (inside) and corrientes (in the centre). “Some start working out at the gym, others jog and some do weights. But the thing that keeps them going is their devotion to Christ”, explains José Rodríguez who has been involved for over 18 years. The task is so difficult that sometimes it is hard to find volunteers. “There has recently been a resurgence in the numbers of costaleros. These days there is a waiting list”, highlights Rodríguez.