It’s no secret that Spain, especially here in the south, commemorates the festival of Easter in a big way. Semana Santa, or Holy Week is for many an emotionally charged time; youngsters, even if they are not particularly religious in their everyday lives, take the opportunity of being in a parade very seriously; and for many towns and villages the processions bring communities together, irrespective of religion.
Sunday is usually the most upbeat of parades, marking for Catholics here the resurrection of Jesus.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience Easter in Seville (probably the most extravagant processions in Europe) and also in other Andalusian towns such as Malaga – but it is in the villages that Easter Sunday can be the most enjoyable.
We took a table in the main village square in Tolox and enjoyed some Sunday morning drinks as we waited for the procession to leave the church. The ‘trono’ with the icon of Jesus on top is typical of those in the villages, more modest and humble than the highly ornate ones seen in the cities – I have to say I much prefer these small scale processions much more.
Behind the trono, held aloft by local men, is the village band.
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