Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. Is the annual commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, they are a few days of intense liturgical activity within the various Christian denominations.
- Semana Santa
Andalusia, pure passion in the South
Arriving in Andalusiaduring Holy Week means smelling the aroma of incense and orange blossom, being moved by the singing of a saeta and impressed to hear the silence of a crowd.
In Andalusia there are many ways to live and feel the Holy Week and everything is in the streets of cities and towns in Andalusia. Every corner is decorated with colour, scent and flavour. And all their inhabitants are fully integrated, from orthodoxy or from a purely cultural environment.
Fraternities take the streets with pictures and sculptures, sometimes of great historical and artistic value, representing scenes from the Passion, Death and Resurrection. Many brotherhoods are accompanied by a procession of penitents or Nazarenes, wearing the habit of the brotherhood, with candles, lanterns and musical accompaniment … And, in the case of women, wearing the typical mantilla.
- Granada
Andalusian brotherhoods
The Holy Week of Malaga, Granadaand Sevilleare classified as international tourist celebrations. Easter is one of the most reliable expressions of Christian Andalusian feel. Holy Week represents a socio-cultural phenomenon mostly, but it is also a tourism and economic fact.
In Seville we found La Macarena, the most popular of Seville virgins. The green tide, as they call the long line of olive Nazarenes robes, walk each year through the streets of Seville from ‘La Madrugá’ on Friday and for 14 hours before returning to the Basílica.
- La Macarena
Another virgin, Esperanza de Triana, also from Sevilla, leaves from the chapel of the Mariners. And this year it will be accompanied by the choir Julio Pardo, 43 voices singing Crowned Incarnation. Los Gitanos de Triana, founded in 1753 walk through all neighbourhoods ofSeville. It is the brotherhood of Cayetana, Duchess of Alba, who continues to maintain her tradition of going to watch the passing ofLa Salud at 2 am in the morning.
Together with El Silencio and El Santo Entierro, El Cristo de Burgos (XVI century) is the counterpoint of the most popular brotherhoods of Seville. This brotherhood is a serious, austere and silent in almost all the way, only accompanied by music chapel.
In Malaga, el Cristo de la Buena muerte, is one of the most popular brotherhoods in Holy Thursday. It is well known for the parade of a company of legionaries that carry the cross to the throne. In Málaga is very common to see the actor Antonio Banderas, who belongs to several brotherhoods and lives Easter with passion and commitment.
- Antonio Banderas
A brotherhood with a very particular history is Jesus el Rico. This brotherhood has the power to release a prisoner (without violent crime) each year, privilege granted by Carlos III.
In Granada, the passion focuses on Holy Wednesday with the Cristo de los Gitanos. Dozens of bonfires illuminate the passage of the procession while, in the caves of Sacromonte, Gypsies sing zambras and fiestas.
And if we are in Jaén, the Christ is El Abuelo, a popular brotherhood founded in 1594. The legend says there was an old man that asked for a log and he stayed alone all night. In the morning, the old man was gone and in his bedroom was a splendid image of Jesus.
If you are planning to get away and you still have no destination, Andalusiaat Easter is a good choice! After this tour of the magic Andalusian Derby Hotels wants to wish happy holidays!
