Travel Tales: Semana Santa en Espana

Holy Week in Spain

A few years ago we happened

to be in Spain for Holy Week.

We hadn't planned it that way,

it was just when our kid's 

Spring Break happened to fall.

We had stopped into this

church in Madrid and inside

were 2 huge structures that

looked something like parade

floats.  We thought maybe

they were something for the

Lenten season but as we were

leaving we saw a poster on

a bulletin board with photos

of these structures.  The poster

told of a procession and then

we all recalled the Holy Week

Processions through the streets

of many Spanish towns.  We

thought they couldn't possibly

carry these huge things though.

On Palm Sunday we decided

we would head over to try to see

 the Procession that was

scheduled for that evening.

While it was still light out

we arrived in this square

around the corner from the

church and waited for

darkness to come.

We could hear the procession

before we could see it.  There

were many marchers, including

men in black robes and pointy

black hoods.  A band marched by.

We think perhaps members of

the Royal Family since a group

had so much security around them.

  

 

Then the structure we saw

in the church came by.  It

was being carried on the

shoulders of men underneath

it.  As they became exhausted,

others would be sent in to

take over.

Then the structure with the

statue of the Virgin Mary

arrived.  It was filled with

candles and dripping hot wax.

It was absolutely beautiful.

We thought this would be

a touristy thing but no, we

were with locals, most only spoke

Spanish.  One young man

could speak some English and

he explained the local people

would go to the many

processions that would happen

throughout Holy Week.

It was a tense moment as the

structure with the Virgin Mary

was going up that small street

between the buildings.  It started

swaying and looked like it was

about the hit into the walls of the

building but they regained control

and the procession continued.

For all of us, this was a very

solemn and moving experience.

A great way to spend our last night

in Spain.