Apr. 7, 2009
Semana Santa
Posted in Cultural notes
 A flower carpet in the street awaits an upcoming procession. Antigua, Gautemala. There is no time of the year that I would rather be in a Spanish-speaking country than Semana Santa. This is Holy Week, the week leading up to La Pascua - Easter. It is a week of pageantry, festivities, traditions, special foods, and beautiful displays. Madonnas and crosses are taken from churches in processions through cities. Penitents wear robes and cover their faces. The very streets are decorated with designs made with flower petals that will be crushed and destroyed under the feet of parading celebrants. Schools are closed, and everyone who can takes time off of work. Let's take a trip to a few countries and see how they celebrate:  A procession in Guatemala.  A penitent (nazareno) in Madrid. His identity is hidden by the "antifaz" that covers his face.  A beautiful Madonna statue is paraded through the streets in a night time celebration in Granada, Spain.  This view from a high window shows how crowded it can get on the streets during Semana Santa. Sevilla, Spain  Mangoes add a playful touch to this flower carpet in Guatemala.  So what is there to do during Holy Weed besides processions? These beach-goers in Mazatlan, Mexico offer a clue.  Now for the tough part - cleanup! Antigua, Guatemala Check out this site for a fun photographic journey through one visitor's Semana Santa experience in Sevilla, Spain.
On this site, scroll down for Semana Santa recipes from Spain. There are also a couple of interesting videos to watch on this page. One of my personal favorite of the Semana Santa culinary traditions is nowhere more evident than Mexico: this is the week to break out the ice cream! Seriously, they kick off the popsicle (la paleta), snow cone (el raspado), and ice cream (el helado) season with gusto there, with street vendors everywhere, and an amazing array of tropical flavors. It is hard to choose! ¡Qué rico! |
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