Semana Santa

Semana Santa
by Jim Curtiss

At the mention of Spain, one might typically think about bullfighting, flamenco dancing and sunshine. Looots of sunshine. However, chances are that one overlooks a significant and impactful aspect of Spanish culture. And no, I’m not talking about the wine. Rather, I’m talking about Catholicism. Because with approximately 37 million baptized Catholics, that means roughly 90% of the Spanish population is Roman Catholic. And perhaps nowhere else is their religiosity more evident than during Holy Week in Sevilla, which we were lucky enough to experience this past April.

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With a tradition that dates back to the 1600s, Semana Santa features long processions of hooded brotherhoods, the focal point being the "pasos", or floats. The processions – 57 of them this past year – are organized by various brotherhoods that are aligned with a certain church, one float per brotherhood being the norm. The floats themselves are wooden sculptures of people and events from the Passion of Christ, and many of the processions include floats of the Virgin Mary, who is very much venerated here.

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The objectives of these processions seem to be three-fold: first, they provide the brotherhoods a chance to serve penance. That is, they walk – often barefooted – for up to 12 hours through the city in the hope that their sins will be forgiven. Secondly, it allows the brotherhoods to show off their sizes, and thus their economic and political import. Indeed, some groups boast over 3,000 members. And most importantly, the processions make their way to the Cathedral so that the float can be blessed.

Usually weighing more than a metric ton, the floats are carried on the backs of the costaleros. These men are hidden under the floats’ platform, giving the impression that the float is… well, floating. Historically, dock workers and manual laborers were hired to carry the floats, but nowadays, the task is carried out by members of the brotherhoods, who train all year round. The largest float requires 64 men to carry it.

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The brotherhoods of Spain are essentially religious organizations, though membership rules vary. Some people, like my friend Ines, are members of not one, but multiple brotherhoods. When I asked her the reason for her multiple memberships, she said that one of the brotherhoods has a procession that is serious, that is, people cannot speak during the "walk", and everybody around keeps silent while the procession passes. The second brotherhood earned her allegiance because she has always liked the image of their Virgin. Also, she bought an apartment very near the church, so she decided it was something like " a sign". So she wanted to say thank you, and to collaborate with the brotherhood, so she decided to join that one too.

At any rate, the members of the brotherhoods can appear… a little scary during the processions. This is because most are required to wear penitent’s robes, which include masks and pointy KKK hoods, though the brotherhoods’ robes can be black or blue or gold or white. Ostensibly, the robes are worn to allow the members to show penitence but not reveal their identity. The history of these costumes by far predates their usage by the KKK, so it’s a pity that most North Americans associate the Spanish brotherhoods with that group.

Sevilla is a city of roughly 700,000 people, but during Semana Santa, that population swells immensely. Hotels and pensions are booked out and people roam the streets until well past midnight, wandering around with folding maps or books illustrating the processions’ routes. I interviewed a few of the spectators when the processions had passed, and here are their impressions of the spectacle:

In contrast to that last fellow, for us, Semana Santa was one of the most interesting extended experiences of our lives. The peaceful coming together of millions of people, the non-stop action visible from our living room balcony, the spiritual discussions that the middle-of-the-night processions sparked – they were all a marvel, and as for me, I simply cannot wait until next year’s Semana Santa.

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