- Time of past OR future Camino
- 1999 Burgos-SDC, 2003 Leon-SDC, 2007-2012 Le Puy-SDC, 2014 Burgos-Covarrubias, Camino Ingles 3 times
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falcon269 said:Your chances are pretty good. Generally, groups pay for the swinging, and lots of groups arrive in June and July. There are up to 4 masses per day, and it can swing at any of them.
jeffnd said:That's good to know. I'd hate to arrive and have someone say, "Oh, the just swung the Botafumeiro yesterday. It'll be another month before they bring it out again."
capecorps said:There must be something wrong with me.
When I entered the Cathedral in Santiago after my five week walk, the last thing on my mind was the Hollywood Botafumeiro.
My attention was drawn instead to the elderly priests in the confessional booths lining the Cathedral. And I thought to myself: when these men signed onto the priesthood in their strong young manhood five decades ago, promising to forgo wife, children and all the things of this world, did they ever in their wildest dreams foresee a time when their churches would be deserted and their proud cathedrals would be a spectacle for such as us.
The unseeing crowds milled around the Cathedral with no understanding of what they were seeing and,
I dropped to my knees in one of these confessionals and said:
Father, forgive me, for I have sinned…....
Tulle said:I understand from other posts that the botafumeiro is not swung regularly, and that a group can pay for it being swung. What about Sunday mass? We will be in Santiago on Sunday 22. When does the mass take place on Sundays? Is there a pilgrim mass every day at 12?
Tulle
Hands up. That's probably me.Bozzie said:Capecorp...not sure why you call the swinging of the botafumiero as a Hollywood event. It was originally done by the church to kill the smells of the unwashed pilgrims. And it also helps today with the smells of some pilgrims!
Yes, it's amazing! I've said elsewhere on the forum that fortunately they seemed to be clamping down a bit more on photography and noisy tourists when I was there a few weeks ago. Everyone wants to photograph the botafumeiro, but that's pretty much after the service has ended so they don't mind so much or just accept the inevitable.Bozzie said:It is a tradition which, to me, is a wonderful and an exciting part of the pilgrims' service. The milling around of people during the service is another thing...especially those who, during the service make the trip up to wrap their arms around the gold statue of St James behind the alter!!! It's distracting!
GunnarW said:365 x 4 = 1460 masses a year
Do you have an idea or a feeling how much time it swings in a year?
I have a feeling after reading a lot of posts, al kind of blogs, reports,... - I could be completely wrong - that it swings average 3 times a week. That makes a chance of 10%.
Do you have another feeling?
I think it's interesting to know how much chance you have to see the botafumeiro in action.
I agree with you Tim. The whole experience of the Pilgrim Mass was intensely spiritual, especially with the help of the nun who taught us the sung responses before the service began. Ending with the Botafumeiro was a great thrill. Re-living the experience with family and friends through the photos I took, (no flash!) has also been part of the Camino pilgrimage for me.I was lucky to be able to attend two masses on the 21st October when it was swung. In the 12 0'clock service one of the visiting priests who had helped with the service and communion was filming away with his iphone from the altar along with the throngs of 'smelly' pilgrims ( me included ) in the congregation. Because we chose to use 21st century technology to help us remember this moving moment does not mean we are any less sincere about its significance.
It was originally done by the church to kill the smells of the unwashed pilgrims. And it also helps today with the smells of some pilgrims! It is a tradition which, to me, is a wonderful and an exciting part of the pilgrims' service. /QUOTE]
Yes probably a pre Christian method of covering unpleasant odours it was adapted for early Jewish and subsequent Christian worship where it has additional symbolism but in my view is still a pleasant smell doing its original job
More on the latter here:
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