Semana Santa and Feria

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the most important weeks of the year in Sevilla, followed closely by Feria.  Residents of Sevilla prepare for Semana Santa year-round.  I saw a lot of these preparations during my semester here in Sevilla.  Almost every night I could hear a band practicing tradition Holy Week music from my window, and during March and early-April I would see groups of people practicing carrying the floats around the University campus at night.  I was in the Picos de Europe for most of the week, but fortunately was still able to experience part of Semana Santa when I got back.

The Semana Santa celebrations consist of different religious brotherhoods processing toward the Cathedral throughout the week.  Each brotherhood prepares and practices for months before Semana Santa for these processions which are called pasos.     The first to appear in the paso is usually a group of nazarenos, whom are members of the brotherhood that wear robes and a cone-shaped hood (purple robed-men in photos below).  There can be hundreds or even thousands of nazarenos, depending on the size of the brotherhood.  The men who aren't nazarenos, or playing in the band, carry the floats.  The floats are works of art; ornate, heavy, and beautiful sculptures of the Virgin Mary and various scenes of the Passion, and are carried by dozens of men standing underneath.  The floats are incredibly heavy but are always carried by men rather than set on wheels.  Different brotherhoods carry the floats in different ways, often rocking back and forth, and moving in a way that distinguishes one brotherhood from another.

This past week in Sevilla was Feria, the annual Spring Fair that occurs two weeks after Semana Santa.  During Feria hundreds of casetas (tents) are set up on the fairgrounds across the river.  The casetas are usually private tents for families and groups of friends, but there are a few public tents as well.  During Feria all the women dress up in Flamenco dresses and everybody dances the special dance of Sevilla called Sevillanas, which is similar to Flamenco but a little faster and livelier.  Lisa and I went and looked around the fairgrounds and saw all the casetas during the day on Monday, but the festivities didn't really begin until that night at midnight when the huge portada (facade and main entrance to the fairgrounds) is lit up.

Raincloud over the cathedral.

Nazarenos in Triana. 

One of the massive floats. 

The Virgin Mary float.

Float headed towards the bridge.

Headed across the bridge and in the direction of the cathedral.

Everybody leaving after the paso ended.

 The rain is over!

Awesome clouds.

Looking across the river at Triana.

My host mom and I.

Flamenco!

Feria!

Fairgrounds.