April 8, 2015
Throughout Spain, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter is a huge religious event. Seville is the crowned champion for having the largest celebrations and processions. The week is a series of long processions with somber trumpet music, elaborate floats carried by 20 or more men, and penitents wearing pointed hoods. The penitents carry candles that will drip all along the route of the procession leaving the street waxy enough that you can almost skate along the slippery surface. Especially when the street is in the sun with partially melted wax. The clothing that the penitents wear is called a capirote that is a conical hat with robes that cover their faces to prevent being recognized. The origins of the conical hat are from medieval times to depict clumsiness or stupidity worn by clowns and jugglers. This transformed to criminals wearing the pointed hat and walk the streets so people could throw rotten vegetables, spit, and insult them. Much later the conical hat became religious for people doing penance of their sins walking through the streets.The elaborate floats have life size depictions of the events of Jesus' time in Jerusalem including his arrest, death, burial, and resurrection. The floats also have statues of Mary. The floats are very beautiful with decorations in silver and gold. We also visited the Naval Museum tower that was one of the early defenses of the city. It had a great view of the city.
Throughout Spain, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter is a huge religious event. Seville is the crowned champion for having the largest celebrations and processions. The week is a series of long processions with somber trumpet music, elaborate floats carried by 20 or more men, and penitents wearing pointed hoods. The penitents carry candles that will drip all along the route of the procession leaving the street waxy enough that you can almost skate along the slippery surface. Especially when the street is in the sun with partially melted wax. The clothing that the penitents wear is called a capirote that is a conical hat with robes that cover their faces to prevent being recognized. The origins of the conical hat are from medieval times to depict clumsiness or stupidity worn by clowns and jugglers. This transformed to criminals wearing the pointed hat and walk the streets so people could throw rotten vegetables, spit, and insult them. Much later the conical hat became religious for people doing penance of their sins walking through the streets.The elaborate floats have life size depictions of the events of Jesus' time in Jerusalem including his arrest, death, burial, and resurrection. The floats also have statues of Mary. The floats are very beautiful with decorations in silver and gold. We also visited the Naval Museum tower that was one of the early defenses of the city. It had a great view of the city.
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