Spain and Holy Week Processions

The sultry, jacaranda laden air is full of incense, the chanting of the penitentes mingles with the prayers of the devoted who crowd their balconies to watch.

I shall be taking a break from the tolerant Buddhism of East Asia to sample the darker side of Spanish Catholicism next week. A visit to see the Holy Week processions in Andalucia has long been on the cards, so on Tuesday I board Iberia Airlines of Spain to fly to Malaga, via Madrid, to experience this very special event.

This intense religious expression of the Spanish people, of which the processions are one manifestation, stems from the Reconquest of Andalucia by the Catholic Kings,Ferdinand and Isabel, in 1487. After centuries of Muslim influence, (and much later, the Catholic CounterReformation), the confessional current of worship became entrenched in these processions.

From the beginning, Images were borne on hand carried platforms (still the case today), by throne bearers from the most important Fraternities. There were candle carriers, and "Hermanos de Sangre" (brothers of blood) penitents who paraded in hooded robes during the procession, followed by bands, drummers, and the devoted. Many changes have occured in the processions since the 15th century, but the original idea is still intact.

Malaga shares with Seville the reputation for staging the most spectacular Holy Week processions, lines of white and black robed penitentes walking the cobble-stoned lanes and alleys of this ancient City . Resembling Klu Klux Klan menbers as they parade in their white robes, their heads and faces hooded, they are an awe-inspiring sight, sinister even, to those who do not share their faith.

The processions take place from around noon and continue into the early hours of the morning, so I shall try to enjoy the Spanish habit of the afternoon sies. Otherwise, I shall miss out on the other delights the city has to offer, like a visit to the gardens especially prepared to honour La Virgen, the Picasso Museum of Malaga, the magnificent Malaga Cathedral, a visit to the Port to witness the troops of the Spanish Foreign Legion arriving with the statue of El Christo de la Buena Muerte which will be paraded in the society's processional. Not to mention the tapas bars in the plazas and hidden corners of this famed city.

I shall be reporting back on my experiences in Malaga, but not on the East Asia site obviously. Look out for an article or two on the UK and Ireland site.

Until then ...............