La granadina

It's the spring semester of my junior year, so I am celebrating with un gran viaje filled with classes (unfortunately) and crazy foreign fun.

Semana Santa

There are [19] photos in this gallery.

The two Easter processions of Holy Week in Granada, one of the three Semana Santa capitols of Spain!

The penitentes, laymen of the Church who are participating in the processions as penitence for their sins, lead the way! The pointy-hat masks are for anonymity, because their identity is God’s business. Views[48] Different color uniforms mean different things, and somewhere there must be a bit of hierarchy cuz some of them definitely lead the show. Views[61] Ranks of the penitentes, led by altar server-types. Views[58] Jesus (aka Jesucristo) on His way to Resurrection. Semana Santa sculptures are all made of carved and painted wood, most copies of 17th-century works of art by the famous, famous Baroque artists I study in class. The Easter ones, however, are modern pieces designed to lengthen Semana Santa—a purely capitalistic intent. Views[55] Jesus comes with a military marching band playing minor-key marches, evidence of Franco’s enduring and oppressive influence. Views[68]
 
Each float is carried by 30 to 40 men, each holding about 40 to 50 kilos across their shoulders. Needless to say the processions move slowly, are accompanied by medics, and stop every few minutes for the men to set the float down and rest. As if this isn’t crazy enough, the 12-hour processions are only divided into two shifts. According to my POE professor, for those six hours, these are the drunkest men in all of Spain. Views[55] Even the holy need a break from a 12-hour procession. They re-light candles, drink water, sneek sweets from friends on the sidelines, etc. Views[46] Creepy. Views[61] Alongside the penitentes, females of all ages lead Mary’s way. They dress in a traditional, black Andalusian dress, carrying candles and rosaries as they mourn Jesus’ death with “La Virgen.” Views[52] Mary’s arrival is an event in itself. The Wednesday of Semana Santa features three Vírgenes, and the crowd apparently goes wild. Thanks to old Pagan beliefs, where the Goddess was associated with fertility and springtime, the men of Spain call La Virgen “guapa” (“beautiful”) and whistle obnoxiously as she parades on by. Views[54]
 
The drunk men in action. Note how fancy and blue Mary’s float is—she’s also known here as the Queen of the Heavens. Views[80] Mary’s floats are always much finer, made of gold- and silver-painted metals (remember how poor Baroque Spain was). This Mary is made entirely of wood, but usually her dress is real fabric, meaning her body is a wire frame. This makes her hips sway back and forth as the processions proceed and basically just serves to egg the Spanish men on. Views[40] White penitentes are creepy-looking, not gonna lie. Views[52] In the second Easter procession, Jesus is Resurrected. Baroque art was known for its dramatics—the float looks like a still from a theater production. Views[65] From behind. Views[52]
 
This band gets to wear the cool hats. Jesus’ military music is all brass and percussion, while Mary’s civilian musicians have a fuller sound, with many flutes and clarinets to carry her on. Views[70] Mary’s girls wear white veils this time around in celebration of the Resurrection. Views[58] Mary, of course, is the star of the show. Her dress is real and the train so long its own attendants are required to carry it along. Views[63] We’ll end with a close-up. Happy Easter! Views[45]  

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