Semana Santa is Upon Us

[scruffy1]

Semana Santa is upon us! We here in Jerusalem got off to an early start, last night went to the concert hall of the YMCA, an amazing building designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon - he who designed the Empire State Building in NYC-the buildings share similar angels. We heard a wonderful Dutch-German-Israeli production of Bach's Passion of Saint John-got home after midnight. Bach is not a Spanish passion, neither is Handel's Messiah but Spain has her own manner to celebrate Semana Santa! The Camino will be chock-full of festival, processions, masses, and celebrations.
This would be a good time to quickly post a recount of favorite or especially intriguing events along the Camino. Something beyond the obvious and well known such as say the 15,000 some odd papones in Leon but I have never seen there the Entierro de San Genarín on Holy Thursday and would very much like to be there. I personally love the smaller, more local processions in the towns and villages, harder to find times and dates but the hospitaliers should know but ask as well in the churches or even the Tourist Information. Time is ticking and pilgrims along the Camino should be alerted som please respond!

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Thank you for this scruffy1. Last year I walked from Azqueta suffering from an upper respiratory infection, so by the time I was nearing Los Arcos I was in a near state of collapse, but then as I entered the edge of town, I and other pilgrims came to a halt as the whole population (or so it seemed) of Los Arcos crossed in front of us and processed through the town with children and women singing and a figure of the Virgin carried aloft. This was Easter Sunday, the sun was shining and the whole atmosphere lifted my spirits just before I found a hotel room and collapsed into bed. As others have remarked, the church there is quite wonderful - the choir especially is worth a very close look even in the rather dark environment on the upper floor - and when I was feeling better I was luc ky to be able to visit the interior and to see the beautiful processional figures standing in the cloisters shown in these photographs

 

[Deleted member 36903]

I forgot to add that there are impressive processions in Puenta La Reina on Good Friday and Easter Saturday and I visited San Pedro church - down a side street near the bridge - on the Saturday afternoon when local women were buy assembling the tableaux to be paraded, when I excused myself for intruding into their arrangements, they simply welcomed me in. There was no detail spared in the presentation of the crucifixion with nails and hammer laid out in front of the figure of the crucified Christ. This is a beautiful church and often overlooked because the Church of the Crucifix and Church of Santiago tend to get more coverage in the guide books.

 

[gigibarry]

Hi Scruffy! A couple of years ago we were in Santo Domingo de Silas for Palm Sunday which involved collecting our palms in one chapel, following the priest around the town carrying said palms and entering the church in the monastery for the remainder of the service which included predictably amazing singing. A week later we were in Carrion for the Easter morning procession complete with a gold Madonna carried by men in cloaks and escorted by women in mantillas. A wonderful sight but, as I recall, a bit difficult to find Easter dinner after - don't know if this is a common problem on the Camino on Easter.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

And of course the best place to be in Spain for Semana Santa is . . . . .Sevilla (biased )