Processions

"Do you go to the processions?" asked my Spanish-American hair stylist. "Yes, of course!" I replied from my seat in front of the mirror. And then we proceeded to talk about how much we love to go out for Semana Santa - how lively the town is, how much fun it is to join the crowds, gathering to eat and drink with friends. 

What I'm trying to say, without sounding completely irreverent, is that yes, I do love the processions. For different reasons than the deeply devout, but there is just such a palpable energy in the streets, bars, restaurants, and on the beaches that can be felt and enjoyed by everyone. Which is probably due to a combination of Catholic fervor and the majority of the population enjoying vacation days. In Andalucía, Semana Santa is like a sneak peek of what summer will bring interlaced with age old religious traditions. 

I went to downtown El Puerto several times during Semana Santa. Here are some pictures from the Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and Viernes Santo (Good Friday) processions. 

Domingo de Ramos

Easter traditions

Our Easter was fairly relaxed - breakfast (at 2 in the afternoon) followed by mimosas (which we first attempted to order as cava y zumo de naranja) with amigos. Then we cooked dinner (a seared salmon salad, no Easter ham here) at the casa and hung out on the couch. I did eat a couple of Russell Stover marshmallow eggs that my mom sent in a care package, but other than that, I guess you say could our Easter was a bit unconventional.

Graham and I were recently talking about traditions and how, in the (almost 9!) years together, there's really nothing that we can think of that we always do for a holiday. Even Christmas is inconsistent - we even had a tree in April one year when Graham got home from a 7 month deployment. This military lifestyle, with deployments, training, frequent moves, sometimes far away from family or even to another country, means that holidays and traditions are flexible. Circumstances change but I try my best to embrace whatever our current situation is and celebrate accordingly.

Which might be why I'm fascinated by Semana Santa, Holy Week. It's so uniquely Spanish - a week of religious processions full of symbolism and traditions that have endured for centuries (makes our less-than-a-decade look like nothing). The pasos - giant floats carried on the backs of believers and covered in gold, silver and flowers, the hooded penitents, wafting incense, flickering candles, marching bands...

First tinto of 2013!

Sunday was sunny. That might not seem that exciting, but after a week nearly full of rainy days and a forecast for even more rain this week, it was noteworthy, an event. Life in El Puerto revolves around being outdoors - the beach, long meals eaten outside, leisurely strolls. When it rains, people are forced indoors, life slows, monotony and boredom set in. Everyone is miserable. Or maybe that's just me, I don't deal well with a lack of sunshine...

So, when Sunday turned out to be gorgeous - in the high sixties, sun shining - I knew we had to take advantage. Sunday was also Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) which marks the beginning of Semana Santa, a holiday week for many Spanish. We took the dogs for a 2 mile walk on the beach, passing many people out for a start-of-spring-break seaside paseo.

Later we went downtown for lunch and the feeling was even more festive - families out for lunch, some people still carrying their branches from church, sidewalk musicians playing, flowers blooming, everyone enjoying the weather. We sat down outside at one of our favorite places (Antojito, if you're in the area, go now!).

And I just knew...

Semana Santa Procession

Easter in España is a major holiday. The country is predominantly Roman Catholic (Wikipedia says 94%) and that means Easter isn't just religious, it's also cultural. Many businesses close not just on Easter Sunday, but for a large part of the week before, and it is spring break for most school children. Each night of Semana Santa, or Holy Week, features church processions through the streets. Sevilla has the most well-known and largest processions, but most towns in Andalucia have their own. We went to downtown Puerto last week for some Tuesday night tapas hopping and to see one of the processions.