Semana Santa

This week has been busy as usual but with Semana Santa going on in Spain it has been even crazier. The Holy week leading up to Easter Sunday attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to Spain and Sevilla in particular. With some of the best processions and most beautiful floats, Sevilla is definitely the place to be this week. I'll try to give you a little glimpse of the week and hope you enjoy the pictures.

Now the costumes may come as a shock to you as they resemble one notorious "clan" from the United States. I was told that many Americans are always alarmed when the see that the cloaks the Spaniards wear look like those of the KKK. The fact of the matter is that the KKK based their cloaks off the ones that the Spanish clergy wear in the Semana Santa processions.

These giant floats that are decorated with either Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary are carried on the shoulders of men from the congregation. The "pass" or floats can weigh up to 1 ton and there are usually 30 - 40 men carrying one. They slowly make their way through the winding city streets and eventually enter the church.

 This was the float that carried the Virgin Mary. Each brotherhood of the church builds a float and each one is different in its own way. We ended up being so close to these floats that we had to take a step back when they came by.

After a long night of watching the processions (which started at midnight) we got some chocolate and churros. The place was packed full of hungry Spaniards who had the same idea as we did. After our 4am snack we got some much needed sleep and prepared for the next day of processions.

After a good nights sleep we woke up and headed to the city center. We had one map of where some processions were going to pass by and at what time. We had no idea where to be and just decided to follow the crowds and essentially wonder around the small streets. We ended up finding another amazing spot to stop and see a float pass right in front of us.

We moved down another street and after some talking to a police officer who wanted us to cross the street, we were able to stay in our perfect place to watch another Virgin Mary float go right in front of us.

After one more accidental run in with another float, we made our way back to the main part of the city. Kelsey and I enjoyed a pasta dinner on one of the main streets and then went back home to relax. We are now in a cafe updating pictures and blogs. The weather is amazing today and its hard to believe April has already started. Soon we will be studying for our final exams and packing up to go home. After the semester is over Kelsey and I will be going to Italy for about 10-11 days. We fly into Rome on May 19th and then have until May 30th to travel around Italy and do whatever we want. Any suggestions?
Hope you are enjoying your Easter. Adios