Penitence and Sensible Shoes

It's Semana Santa (Holy Week), one of the most important celebrations in Sevilla for perhaps as far back as the 14th century.

All the Catholic brotherhoods process through the streets of Sevilla for eight days beginning on Palm Sunday. I mentioned in an earlier post that there are 61 different processions this year. Most brotherhoods carry two floats (one with a version of Christ in one of the stages of "the Passion," and another with a "Dolorosa" (the Virgin Mary in pain) under a canopy. Some brotherhoods have three floats and a few have only one.

People march in penitence, anonymously. It's a very strange thing for our American-trained eyes to see, since they are garbed in conical hats (capirotes) that make them look like members of the Ku Klux Klan. It would appear that the Klan stole this costume for their own loathsome purposes, but no one knows for certain (especially since Catholics are among all the others the Klan is hatefully against).

Each brotherhood has some kind of identifier. Some robes are white and the cones are purple. Some are entirely white. Some are black. Some red. Last night I saw a very tall penitent all in black walking down the street holding hands with two small children who ran happily beside him dressed in their Easter best. Very curious.

PENITENTS RUSHING DOWN RAINY STREETS (WITH NO PROCESSION IN SIGHT).

I haven't yet seen one of the processions, which carry their floats from their churches to the Cathedral and back taking the shortest possible route based on "the rule of ordinances" from the 17th century. Even the shortest possible route takes hours. It was pouring down rain yesterday when they were supposed to walk by our plaza; that walk was canceled. Jerry read this morning that one of the groups covered everything in plastic but still had to take shelter in a nearby church (fortunately, the old churches have huge doors just for that purpose). I may break my vow and go out on the streets today (with an umbrella) rather than wait for them to come to me.

I DON'T GET IT, A COMMON SIGHT THIS WEEK IN SHOE STORES.