Easter in Spain
Obviously Spain is a very religious country. Even in these days of religious ambivalence the predominantly Catholic population attend mass on Sundays and celebrate religious festivals with an unparalleled gusto. Easter of course is one of these festivals.
One week before Easter Sunday is Palm Sunday (el Domingo de Ramos) this is the first day of the Spanish Easter Week (La Semana Santa). On the morning of el Domingo de Ramos the churches hold a special mass to celebrate the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was welcomed by the people laying palm leaves on the ground in front of him. For a few days before you will see people wandering the lanes looking for branches to adorn their front doors or to carry in to church with them for a blessing.
On Maundy Thursday, the church bells are tied so they cannot be rung. This is done as a mark of commemoration of the day that Jesus was betrayed and sentenced to death.
On Good Friday, the Spanish traditionally do not eat meat, instead having perhaps a garlic soup followed by a hearty fish and chickpea stew. The idea is that by giving up something one enjoys (such as meat) during this period a person can understand in a very small way what Jesus did by giving up his life.
On Easter Sunday (El Domingo de Resurrección), you will hear the church bells ringing fervently once again. The mournful parades will be replaced by flower strewn celebratory processions and whole families will dress in their finery to attend mass in their local church.
Finally, eight days after it all started, Easter draws to a close with Easter Monday. This is the day where families go to the park or into the countryside for a picnic. In days gone by, god-fathers would give their god-children a sweet pastry with an egg (mona pascual) to eat while they were out although nowadays most families buy them from the local supermarket for the whole family.
Dance of the Dead, Verges, Easter in Spain
Many towns in Spain have grand celebrations this week, one that stands out is the small town of Verges, about 20km from Girona in Cataluña, where they have a re-enactment of Judas' betrayal of Jesus and the trial with Pontias Pilot. This is followed by a parade of Jesus and the theives carrying their crosses through the town, flanked by Roman soldiers and followed by the “Nazarenos”.
The Nazarenos are easily recognised as they are dressed in costumes resembling the Ku Klux Klan with their pointed hats (capirote). They parade barefoot or have chains attached to their ankles to symbolise the suffering of Jesus at the time of his death.
The highlight of the parade is the "dance of the dead" comprising of one skeleton wielding a scythe, another a clock without hands, a third with a banner proclaiming that death can choose you anytime and finally 2 child skeletons holding boxes with ashes inside.
After the crucifixion of Jesus the dance of the dead is taken into the church and the re-enactment is finally complete, some 3 hours after it started.
