lunes, 10 de enero de 2011

EASTER IN CADIZ, SEMANA SANTA IN CADIZ,21st April to 24th April 2011



What is Semana Santa?
Semana Santa (or Holy Week) is the Spanish name for Easter. It dates back to the 16th century when the Church decided to present the story of the Passion of Christ in a way that the layperson could understand. It was decided that the best way to do this would be a series of processions through the streets, depicting scenes from the story of the fall and rise again of Jesus Christ.
When do the majority of activities take place?
Most processions take place in the evening - the earliest being at about 6pm (especially in Leon) but most at about 9pm. (the exception is Domingo de Ramos, the Sunday before Easter Sunday, which has its activities at about midday.)

The biggest procession of the day is usually at about 11pm. In Toledo the main procession of the day will often be be named after the day it is held on - so, for example, the main procession of Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday) will be the 'procesión de Miércoles Santo'.

Friday is the big day. The events from Thursday evening never really stop, with processions from Thursday night (the early hours of Friday morning) until Friday evening. Unless you have an excellent capacity to drink large quantities of coffee, you'll have to miss some of it to get a little beauty sleep. The events of Thursday night/Friday morning are the most important, so plan your sleep around this fact.

The mass of Easter Sunday, the last day of Semana Santa, is also important. The hoods that have been worn throughout the week to signify mourning at the death of Jesus Christ, are taken off to celebrate the resurrection. (It should be noted that the hoods have nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan, to which they are so often compared. It is said that early KKK members saw the Semana Santa celebrations and adopted the costume, so impressed were they by the effect the design had on onlookers.)


What if it rains?
Semana Santa is an outdoor event - rain is bad news. With many of the floats very old and easily damaged, processions are called off with even the slightest drop of rain. Those involved are bitterly disappointed - they've waited all year for this. If rain is forecast, stay away, there'll be nothing to see.
What is a saeta?
A saeta is an element of Semana Santa particular to Andalusia and specifically Seville. It is an outburst of flamenco song, sung from one of the balconies in the narrow streets of the city. In times gone by they were spontaneous, the singer so overcome with emotion that only a flourish of flamenco will be enough to convey their emotions. Today, they are invariably preplanned. The procession will stop and listen to the song until it is over.


Accomodation is available for Semana Santa in El Puerto de Santa Maria it is avisable to book in advance as this is a popular time to visit Andalusia.
See all available apartments:

http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

2 comentarios:

Visiting Spain dijo...

Thanks for all the info we are visiting the area in easter and we really are not at all religious so we didn't know what to expect.
Thanks for enlightening me!!!
Sounds like we will have a great time.

EMILIOS BAR dijo...

I hope you enjoy your holiday in Andalusia. Semana Santa is one of the business times of the year and it is a lovely time to visit as it isn't too hot to get around.
Write back and tell us how you enjoyed your holiday.