stewartwillsher
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This seasonal WAFFLE contains no eggs, neither bunnies nor chicks!
If any of you have been in Spain, or some other Catholic country, at Easter, you would have found it difficult to avoid the celebration of its religious side.
During our first couple of years here, we lived in the village and unless we stayed indoors, Semana Santa is the buzz.
Whether it is the processions, the parties or just the fullness of the village, here, like all over Spain it is a time for families to come together and partake at whatever level chosen.
The most extreme of involvement is belonging to a religious brotherhood, most towns having several, and participating in one or more processions.
Most will wear the penitential robes, the most significant part being the tall conical hat which also covers the face, with eye holes, and shoulders.
Each brotherhood usually has their own colour for their clothing, purple seeming to be the most popular.
Semana Santa, literally Saints' Week, does in fact last a whole week, with something happening each day in the form of service (mass) and or processions.
As you might expect, being the historical event it is all about, the religious activities are not a bundle of laughs; at least one procession is normally after dark and in complete silence with just the shuffling of feet and maybe a muffled drum - evocative and even a little sinister.
The focal point of most processions is likely to be an effigy, normally mounted on a float, associated with a church in the town.
Most portray some aspect of JC's demise, or his upset mum or mates, or some appropriate saint.
Some have an elaborate framework, looking like a four poster bed, and loads of candles.
Often these monstrosities are incredibly heavy and if not on a carriage like base, would be carried by the men of the brotherhood.
Weighing many tonnes, dozens of blokes with padded shoulders form a matrix of muscle underneath the float and are unseen.
A chief walking in front uses either a knocker or bell to provoke the hidden lifters to lift with a bounce, or slowly lower the float.
Once "up" the chaps get into step by swaying side to side, then on the command, move forward.
In some towns and cities the corners to be negotiated are tight and the shuffling to and fro and side to side might take many minutes to make the turn.
Spectators often break into a modest applause to encourage and reward the effort.
If not a silent procession, then there would be a band of some sort, with an emphasis on trumpet (or similar) and always drums.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Spain
Seville is the most ostentatious example for processions, with each church trying to out-do the others with their efforts.
Read all about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Seville
And if you have just over twenty minutes to spare then you can save the time and effort and cost of going to see and experience Seville Semana Santa, by viewing the youtube below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqOlTuY6e1s
And spare a few minutes to see the chaps practicing with dummy frames loaded with concrete girders; we have seen them down South, at night complete with flashing warning lamps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ZG2_NKE3I
And just see what this team have to do to get the float out of the church door!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDjbG6rmNrs
Even, if like us, you are not believers, it is an experience and a means of absorbing the culture to see a procession or two (maybe that is enough!).
However, one year, at our request (had to do it once) our family here took us to Chinchon for the pasion, famous the world over (apparently).
It is an enactment, on the Easter Saturday evening lasting several hours, of the Easter "story", portrayed by the residents of the town.
Each family has a traditional role, whether it is to act the goodies (JC and gang) or the baddies (Romans).
The town square (huge space) is used and hundreds of participants, including spectators (booing and hissing at the Romans especially) take part with the costumes making the whole thing a remarkable visual experience.
See the links below:
http://www.spain.info/en_GB/que-quieres ... nchon.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSVjhnt55e4
So, not many choccy eggs in that lot, but Spain and its younger folk are being increasingly influenced by the commercialisation of many festivals and, like the man in red at Xmas (still called Navidad (Nativity) here), Easter Eggs are here and now in the shops and scoffed by one and all.
Happy Easter - Felices Pascuas
If any of you have been in Spain, or some other Catholic country, at Easter, you would have found it difficult to avoid the celebration of its religious side.
During our first couple of years here, we lived in the village and unless we stayed indoors, Semana Santa is the buzz.
Whether it is the processions, the parties or just the fullness of the village, here, like all over Spain it is a time for families to come together and partake at whatever level chosen.
The most extreme of involvement is belonging to a religious brotherhood, most towns having several, and participating in one or more processions.
Most will wear the penitential robes, the most significant part being the tall conical hat which also covers the face, with eye holes, and shoulders.
Each brotherhood usually has their own colour for their clothing, purple seeming to be the most popular.
Semana Santa, literally Saints' Week, does in fact last a whole week, with something happening each day in the form of service (mass) and or processions.
As you might expect, being the historical event it is all about, the religious activities are not a bundle of laughs; at least one procession is normally after dark and in complete silence with just the shuffling of feet and maybe a muffled drum - evocative and even a little sinister.
The focal point of most processions is likely to be an effigy, normally mounted on a float, associated with a church in the town.
Most portray some aspect of JC's demise, or his upset mum or mates, or some appropriate saint.
Some have an elaborate framework, looking like a four poster bed, and loads of candles.
Often these monstrosities are incredibly heavy and if not on a carriage like base, would be carried by the men of the brotherhood.
Weighing many tonnes, dozens of blokes with padded shoulders form a matrix of muscle underneath the float and are unseen.
A chief walking in front uses either a knocker or bell to provoke the hidden lifters to lift with a bounce, or slowly lower the float.
Once "up" the chaps get into step by swaying side to side, then on the command, move forward.
In some towns and cities the corners to be negotiated are tight and the shuffling to and fro and side to side might take many minutes to make the turn.
Spectators often break into a modest applause to encourage and reward the effort.
If not a silent procession, then there would be a band of some sort, with an emphasis on trumpet (or similar) and always drums.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Spain
Seville is the most ostentatious example for processions, with each church trying to out-do the others with their efforts.
Read all about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Seville
And if you have just over twenty minutes to spare then you can save the time and effort and cost of going to see and experience Seville Semana Santa, by viewing the youtube below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqOlTuY6e1s
And spare a few minutes to see the chaps practicing with dummy frames loaded with concrete girders; we have seen them down South, at night complete with flashing warning lamps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ZG2_NKE3I
And just see what this team have to do to get the float out of the church door!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDjbG6rmNrs
Even, if like us, you are not believers, it is an experience and a means of absorbing the culture to see a procession or two (maybe that is enough!).
However, one year, at our request (had to do it once) our family here took us to Chinchon for the pasion, famous the world over (apparently).
It is an enactment, on the Easter Saturday evening lasting several hours, of the Easter "story", portrayed by the residents of the town.
Each family has a traditional role, whether it is to act the goodies (JC and gang) or the baddies (Romans).
The town square (huge space) is used and hundreds of participants, including spectators (booing and hissing at the Romans especially) take part with the costumes making the whole thing a remarkable visual experience.
See the links below:
http://www.spain.info/en_GB/que-quieres ... nchon.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSVjhnt55e4
So, not many choccy eggs in that lot, but Spain and its younger folk are being increasingly influenced by the commercialisation of many festivals and, like the man in red at Xmas (still called Navidad (Nativity) here), Easter Eggs are here and now in the shops and scoffed by one and all.
Happy Easter - Felices Pascuas