Semana Santa en Granada

Hola!

During the holy week we staid in Granada and enjoyed the unique (unico), most traditional (tadicional) celebration in Spain. Enjoyed or didn't enjoyed?!  All medals are two sides. There are two sides to every question. 

Easter (Pascua) week is celebrated in every city (ciudad) and village (aldea) in Spain, eminently (eminentemente) in Andalusia. Semana Santa festivities are vary (modificar) by every region. All day and night the street (calle) filled with the beat of the drums, masses of colourful (vistoso) flowers (flores), and the consummate art of religious sculpture all combining to produce a highly moving atmosphere (atmósfera). Each of the procession typically boasts two intensely adorned floats, one of the Virgin Mary and the other one of  scene from Christ's Passion. 

First you can see the La Cruz de Guía. They lead the entire procession of nazarenos. The cross are carried at the front. After come the nazarenos, They are members of the hermandad (brotherhood).

They dress in robe and cone shaped hood. (Capirote, Túnica) The very long candles are carried by nazarenos. We saw children (Mondaguillos), too. The dressed like priests. Ciriales are carrying silver staffs with candles. During the procession (and after, too) you can smell the insence (incienso). It is most often burned in mental containers which hang by a rope or chain.

The pasos are physically carried on the neck, shouldres of the costaeros. They are hidden inside the platform of the paso, so it seems to walk alone. The capataz is the person who directs the costaleros carrying the float. Women and girls dressed in black traditional Spanish costume carrying candles. The music is very important, too. The banda de música the band that accompanies all of the procession except or the silent one.

First of all for me it was the first time I have seen a celebration (celebración), like this. So it was really awe-inspiring (grandioso). On Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and Monday (Lunes Santo) we saw a lot of procession (procesión). There were a lot of people but we had place to move from one place to another. It was a little bit (un poco) much for me. Too gilded... Every day... But I can admit, this is a really important (importante) traditional here. And the power of the people how waiting (espera) to see the sculptures (escultura) it is really amazing. We waited together, we were together and for me this feeling was uplifting. Every year a lot of people from all over the world come here to see this ceremony and I could take a part of it. I was a little bit sad because we didn't see the procession of Los Gitanos, which is really special here, in Granada.

It an other respect Thursday, Friday and Saturday was a unexpected (imprevisto). So many people on the streets. You can't move... We wanted to see the La Aurora procession at a special (especial) place but we couldn't go there because (porque) the people blocked the way. There were people how were waited 2 hours just that they can see the pasos primarily. We just wanted to find the way, and we spoke there 5 minutes (minutos), but the people were so angry (enojado), what we want to do there... So it was really crazy. Of course we saw the procession at an other place, but Nadia wanted to show us the best view to enjoy that. (On Friday (viernes) Nadia told us that with her kid happened a little mishap at home and they needed to go to a doctor, but it was really hard to find the best way. They can't move easily... So if somebody need critical care and don't know how it is going.. It is really annoying)

After that we went to Nadia's house and we ate pizzaaaa. We played with her kid. She was really funny (cómico). She danced (bailar) and sang (cantar) :D 

My favorite was he silent procession, the Silencio at Thursday (jueves). The street lights along the route are turned off and the procession takes place in absolute silence. Or not... Because I thought there will be really silent, but of course there were a lot of people, so there couldn't be absolute silent. In spite of this it was penetrative. 

I don't know if I want to visit again the holly week here, but I am sure I would like to see the procession of the Los Gitanos. So I hope I can come back next year for a few days during the Semana Santa. 

:)