As a visitor to Spain or Portugal around Easter one could be forgiven for thinking that every day is a Sunday for this is the time of Samana Santa and some of the most colourful celebrations of the Catholic faithful.
In other countries the appearance on the streets of mysterious cloaked and hooded figures would be cause for alarm but in these regions where religious traditions run deep, these costumes are central to the annual celebration of The Passion of Christ.
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Members of the Brotherhood wearing Nazarnos
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Many of these brotherhoods or fraternities have existed since the Middle Ages and the origin of the costumes is believed to lay in the participants being able to practice their penance without revealing their identity.
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| The conical hood is called a capirote |
Whilst membership of the brotherhood is open to any Catholic person there is usually a strong family heritage which encourages participation from an early age.
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| The Novice |
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| The Experienced |
The actual colour and appearance of the garments varies depending on the procession and the particular brotherhood.
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| Richly coloured hoods |
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| Stunning black and white |
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| And some things are always in fashion |
The processions themselves take place at all times of day and night during the week prior to Easter and wind their way through the atmospheric streets of the old town centres.
The real stars of the parades are the elaborate floats or pasos, which bear sculptures that depict scenes from the final days of Christ (The Passion) and the Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
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| Tens of thousands flock to witness the procession in Seville |
The floats are often richly decorated and being made of gold and silver are massively heavy. They are carried on the strong shoulders of teams of men hidden from view under the side drapes. This is hot and thirsty work even on a cool night and it is a procedure which is highly coordinated by officials charged with making sure no harm comes to these artworks that can be centuries old.
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| The Sorrows of the Virgin being led through the streets of Tavira. |
The figures and floats are stored in churches and secure sites during the year and may have survived turbulent times to become prized possessions around which the communities are bonded.
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| Processional figures in storage at Mafra |
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| Inside the Palacio National de Mafra |
In preparation for the festivities the figures and floats are dusted, clothed in robes and decorated with stunning floral arrangements.
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A magnificent Pieta decorated with aromatic roses and irises |
The statues are presented for worship in the churches in the days before the parades and are popular sites of pilgrimage for the faithful who pray and offer donations in return for blessings.
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| Annual prayers to the Virgin |
The crowds line the streets in anticipation and many purchase seats in specially constructed stands and "runways" to witness the festivities. Every town and city has its own style and with the parades taking up to eight hours to complete, a comfortable position is paramount.
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| Final touches to the seating along the runway at Seville |
Most of the processions that we watched were colourful and joyous affairs that were proceeded by merchants selling lollies for kids and sunflower seeds for adults to pass the time until the real celebrations begin.
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| Selling cures for hypoglycaemia |
If you were thinking that the slow pace of the parade might be somnolent then the cacophony of the approaching bands is enough to raise your fingers to you ears.
Many of the "tunes" were unfamiliar to us but "Christo de la Salud y Buen Viaje" has left a lasting impression. I challenge you to close your eyes, turn up the volume and imagine you are in the streets of Cadiz:
The general format for the processional is that the pasos are greeted by the crowds as they are removed from their respective churches. The processions then make their way along predetermined routes around the town and stop at significant sites along the way for blessings.
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| Pasos leaving a church in Cadiz |
In the case of this Cadiz parade the floats were accompanied by costumed soldiers in uniforms inspired by the Roman Legion.
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| Wolf Headpiece |
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| Centurians |
This spectacle of colour, sound and preserved traditions may take place along a number of different routes at the same time in larger cities and it is easy to track the path taken by the crowds and noise.
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| Imagine carrying this crucifix for several hours as penance |
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| Streets of Puerto de Santa Maria |
In the small port town of Tavira the Christ and Virgin statues are taken along different routes and eventually meet back at the church.
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| Christ carrying the cross |
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| The Virgin Mary |
As day turns to night the celebrations continue with the pasos entering a side door of the church for a brief ceremony and then leaving via the main entrance to the awaiting crowd.
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| A pasos entering the side door |
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| The Virgin exiting the church to the applause of the crowd |
The exception to all the noise and excitement was the solemn silent procession we took in at Sanlucar de Barrameda. Starting at midnight the route covers a few kilometres of the old city and finishes after sunrise. Despite its popularity there is an eerie atmosphere that accompanies this tribute, while the noise from other parades can be heard echoing through the alleyways.
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| Silent procession entering the church |
In smaller towns such as Benarraba we were privileged to be the sole outsiders to see the ceremonies held in a small and close community. Again in a night procession, the statues were carried up and down the steep and sometimes narrow streets with the golden crowns being deftly maneuvered beneath powerlines and around tight corners.
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| Benarraba at night |
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| The Virgin in street light |
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| Statues of Jesus and Mary at the church |
The Easter celebrations conclude with the return of the statues to their various keeping places. Some are stored out of view while others await the next ceremony while looking down at the congregations from vantage points high above the pews of churches and cathedrals. The final wave of processions are called Romeria in Spain and Romaria in Portugal and are once again are accompanied with similar attention to traditions.
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| Crucifixion statue returned to its storage chapel |
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| On display in church |
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| Priceless statuary |
As you can see we have been immersed in the cultural wealth that Spain and Portugal offer at the time of Easter. These countries which are rich in history are currently dominated by the teachings and traditions of the Catholic church will reward the faithful residents and curious travellers alike.
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