Semana Santa in Salamanca

A reminder to all Tia Tula students - Thursday 2nd or Friday 3rd April are public holidays, and thus there will be no lessons on either of these dates.

Most of you reading this will be aware that this week is Semana Santa.  But what is it all about?

Semana Santa is the Spanish term for the week leading up to Easter Sunday.  The celebration dates back to the 16th century, when the Catholic Church decided to make the story of the Passion of Christ accessible to the illiterate masses. They decided that the most effective way of doing this would be to hold a series of processions depicting scenes from the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, collectively known as the ´Passion Narratives’.

Every year, each of the cofradías católicas or Catholic brotherhoods carries a ’paso’ or float, depicting a different scene from the Passion Narratives. The pasos are elaborately decorated, and the participants often dress in cloaks and hoods, known as capas and capirotes. Some processions are accompanied by a band, playing a selection of sombre and atmospheric songs, whereas others take place in mournful silence. The participants carrying the paso are called costaleros, whilst those following the float are called penitentes.

Salamanca

As one would expect from a city so imbued in history and culture, Salamanca has one of the oldest celebrations in Spain. According to local history, the earliest procession can be traced back to 1240. Although the processions in this region are less carnivalesque than those held further south, they are nonetheless an intense and vivid experience, and well worth attending.

But what about this year?

10,000 'penitents' associated with 16 brotherhoods will take to the streets between Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows, the penultimate Friday before Easter, this year Friday 27th) and Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday), carrying 41 different pasos.

For a full list of processions, see the official Semana Santa website. ´Horarios y Recorridos'.

An exhibition of Semana Santa posters, or carteles, is open to the public at Vialia (the train station). The exhibition closes 5th April.

The Three Wise Men

On January 6th Spanish people celebrate one of their biggest holidays – the arrival of the Three Wise Men (los Reyes Magos). It is a deeply rooted Christian tradition but it is not the reason why all children in Spain love it. Santa Claus may be the deal in other countries, but in Spain The Three Wise Men are the real deal and thus the ones who bring presents and sweets to children (and sometimes to adults, too). However, even though Spanish culture is strong, it does get influenced by others, mainly Western, cultures and so now even Santa Claus (Papá Noel) brings presents at times. That is mostly due to the fact that if children receive the presents on January 6, they have less time to play with them before school resumes than if they receive them on December 24.

Los Reyes Magos, or The Epiphany, is a joyful festivity taking place not only inside people’s houses but also on the streets all over Spain with big parades and crowds set on celebrating the Three Wise Men who were first to acknowledge Jesus as the son of God. The parades usually take place on the evening before the Epiphany, January 5th. There’s also a bit of re-enactment taking place as the three kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar, walk through the town and ‘throw’ goodies at the people standing by the parade route (of course it’s mostly children because that’s who the candies are meant for).

Later in the evening on January 5th, children put out their shoes where the kings can see them and prepare some food, water and hay for them and their camels to refresh themselves after their long journey. And then, in the morning on January 6th, they will find presents in their shoes and other signs that the Three Wise Men indeed came to their house (the camels of course drank the water and ate the hay). This holiday has been special to the Spanish people for a long time, however, since 1885 it has been officially acknowledged by the government and since then it remains the longest standing parade in Spain.