Easter in Andualucia, España isn’t just a big furry bunny and chocolate eggs (or money filled eggs–you know who you are). First of all, it’s more than just a day. People don’t talk about Easter, but rather about Semana Santa. Every church in Granada has it’s own procession at least once during Semana Santa, and these processions are a huge deal. Our host sister and brother were in the procession for their church and they couldn’t stop talking about how excited they were! Each procession consists of a bunch of people carrying candles dressed in outfits that look like the KKK (they are called penitentes and I’m still not really sure why they dress like that), a huge figure of either Jesus in various stages of the passion or La Virgen in every imaginable form. These figures are on top of elaborate platforms and take around 20 to 30 people to carry them. The processions leave from their church and walk all throughout Granada, often for 8 or more hours. I don’t think that I can really describe exactly how intense and different Semana Santa in Granada is, so I’ll let my pictures do the talking.
I was only in Granada for 2 ½ days of Semana Santa, and while I’m really glad I got to be a part of such an important cultural experience, those 2 days were plenty!
I hope this video gives you a better idea of what Semana Santa was like
One Mary
Another Mary–this one is from Easter Sunday
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