Semana Santa is one of Spain’s most celebrated religious festivals in the south of Andalucia. Semana Santa means the Holy week which is the most important festival in the catholic faith; it runs from Palm Sunday to the following week, Easter Sunday, with many processions happening in most of the days. Semana Santa is widely celebrated in the whole of Spain but particularly on a large scale in Malaga and Seville, where spectacular sights can be observed.

Traditional celebrations

At the start of Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Semana Santa festival, processions will be paraded down the streets of the city in sobriety with religious confradias carrying a huge float which depicts a religious scene, all relating to Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The floats, or “tronos,” are heavily decorated with colorful materials and candles that have seen many laborious hours of preparation before the procession begins. A band plays an accompanying dirge or music in accordance to the mood and setting of Semana Santa. At times, the tronos make a brief stop to serenade the public with a “saeta” or a solemn flamenco song.

The tronos are physically carried by the float bearers with the objective of identifying with the sufferings of Christ; the sight invokes empathy of all witnesses regardless of your faith or religion. These float bearers usually have their families and friends rallying behind to support them with food and water provided whenever the float pauses along the parade.

Young and Old participation

The Semana Santa festival really binds the old and young together; the great tronos have the different generations of people united in shouldering the task of carrying the float throughout the parade. There would be many who are walking alongside the float ready to take their place in relieving others who may be tired. This selfless act really unites the local community and families as they participate in this heavy task without complaints or murmurs.

Children who are too young to participate in the carrying of the tronos would run around the bands and floats collecting wax from the dripping candles to form huge balls, competing with one another for the biggest candle wax ball. Their simplicity and excitement brings an infectious joy to bystanders.

Different Atmosphere

Although the Semana Santa is celebrated in its awesome way for a whole week, it differs from the normal vibrant celebrations of other Spanish festivals, due to its religious implications. The atmosphere of this celebration is more somber and there is not the usual drinking and partying that one would associate with a Spanish fiesta. One can still enjoy the tapas bars and excellent local cuisine during Semana Santa, where the city seems so much smaller than it actually is with the huge influx of tourists.