Giants, reggeaton and corrida or … Corpus Christi in Granada

It is said, that in Granada the biggest holidays is Corpus Christi. Because it is an important christian holidays and it is also the time, when it take place here feria de primavera. 

In our center we started to celebrate Corpus one week earlier. During all May, we had kind of Masses in the school's chapel, because it was a special Virgin's month. But, one day, I walked into the chapel and I could see, that the Virgin Mary is ready to get out. Seriously. She was standing on a special platform, using during the Semana Santa... but, come on – we've already celebrated Easter two months ago. What's going on? 

There is a famous event called Romeria, which is trip or peregrination which ends at a sanctuary or hermitage, during this celebration, there are dancing, singing, eating and drinking and, of course, people usually dress in famenco dresses. So, we prepared Romeria also here, with a „trip” around the school. Few older boys took the Mary outside the school and our little girls, wearing orange flamenco dresses, (mandatory in dots) and one boy were dancing for her. 

Next, it was Wednesday – one day before the Corpus. It was impossible to walked by Gran Via. Why? Because people was waiting for La Tarasca. It is a parade of giants.

First, we can see catholics and arabic kings, then, more or less ordinary people with enormous heads, orchestra and, the most important - pretty doll in flamenco dress, riding dragon. It's connected with a legend about Saint Martha, who defeated the dragon in Tarasque kingdom in France just by prayers.

Finally we have the day of the Corpus. It seemed to be similar to the polish one. There were beautiful altars situated around the church and procesion with the Holy Sacrament.

There was even a material's roof through all the procesion way to protected decorations. So, we were waiting in front of the cathedral for procesion. Waiting...and waiting... and we couldn't believe how many people, who just carried the flags, could be inside the cathedral. And they were leaving and leaving, without any song or prayer, more than half on hour... we almost felt asleep. Finally, there left priests with a Holy Sacrament. So, like in our country, we quickly ran behind the priests, to follow the procesion, to be the first people and could see and hear everything, but... in a few minute we realized, that we were not just the first one – we were the only one who did it... Next time i'll read some savour vivre guidebook before ;) 

The same week there were started two other things. First one was the feria. It is tipical for all Andalusia that during a week, more or less, in the city there are concerts, dances and fiestas inside the tents, with the sangria and flamenco and/or reggaeton music. The most well know feria take part in Sevilla in April, but in Granada it's open for everybody. And the last thing – do you know what kind of event starts in a day of Corpus? It's also tipical for Andalusia. We have flamenco, sangria, so... yes, it is corrida... When I had spanish lessons in Poland, years ago, we learned one word which is really usefull for me to describe sometimes some spanish customs – que barbaridad! ;)