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Tag Archives: easter week

life imitating art

14 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by azahar in andalucia, art, fiestas, flamenco, sevilla, spain

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

easter week, semana santa, sevilla, seville, spain

Every year there is a competition for the official posters for Semana Santa and the Fiestas de Primavera. This year’s winner for the latter is Nuria Barrera. Called La Alma de Sevilla (Soul of Sevilla) it is a still life full of Sevillano symbolism.

Hanging in the wardrobe are three nazareno tunics from the Macarena, Los Negritos and Amargura brotherhoods, alongside two flamenco dresses by local designer Lina. On the wardrobe shelf above there is a wide-brimmed straw hat trimmed with a Triana green ribbon, plus silk shawls and gypsy accessories. Below we can see a drum from the Maestro Tejera band and some clothes worn by costaleros. Hanging on the left-hand door is a 2013 Easter poster (by the same author) of the Immaculate Conception of Murillo, a picture of El Cachorro and a sticker from the 1992 Expo’92. On the right door of the wardrobe there is a mirror with the Giralda being reflected through an open balcony.

Other details include a pot of red carnations and rosemary, corresponding nazareno footwear under each tunic, the traditional striped cushion used at the bullring, polka-dot flamenco shoes and an enea (wicker) chair with a capirote and hood from the Macarena hermandad. Classic Sevillano floor tiling completes the scene. Seriously, this is The Very Best Poster I have ever seen for the fiestas and I seriously want one.

alma sevilla 2

Meanwhile, a friend came across this bit of wonderfulness. Just around the corner from the San Juan de la Palma church, in calle Viriato, a lovely gentleman has recreated this poster in his patio and has left the doors open so people can admire his handiwork. I found the house yesterday and the man was standing in the doorway with Semana Santa music coming from inside the house, and he was inviting people to go in and have a look. Here you can see them together…

alma sevilla

las mantillas

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by azahar in fiestas, holidays, sevilla, spain

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easter week, semana santa, sevilla, seville, spain

My absolutely favourite days of Semana Santa are Thursday and Friday when the women dressed in black with their magnificent lace mantillas come out in force. They are everywhere, and they are wonderful. Ostensibly they are mourning the recent death of Jesus Christ, but they are also totally into looking fabulous. I see no issue with this, though I have a preference for the more mature women who are into looking classy while they mourn (younger women doing “sexy mourning” with short tight dresses and stiletto heels leave me cold).

mantilla photo op next to my old house (on the left)

mantillas & cervecitas

semana santa 2017

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by azahar in culture, holidays, sevilla, spain

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easter week, semana santa, sevilla, seville, spain

Semana Santa kind of snuck up on me this year, most likely because I was away in London the week before. And by the time I got back – blam! – it was already starting to happen. I still get caught out by the “pre-Semana Santa” processions, so that means getting around town madness begins even earlier.

This year I didn’t actually make any plans to see a particular procession, other than the Borriquita on Palm Sunday. The rest of the time I was just out and about in the afternoon (usually before or after a tapas tour) and them – blam! – came across a procession. So I didn’t see any processions at night this time around.

Maybe next year I won’t do any tapas tours during Semana Santa so I can take the week to get back into it (because it does take energy and planning). I do love it, for reasons I can’t explain. I just do.

La Borriquita nazarenos returning to Salvador Church

La Borriquita paso depicts Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey

Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, El Cerro procession

handing out estampitas during the San Bernardo procession

El Cristo de la Salud, San Bernardo procession

Jesús de la Paz, Carmen Doloroso procession

crosses to bear

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by azahar in culture, fiestas, religion, sevilla, spain

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easter week, semana santa, sevilla, seville, spain

crosses to bear

Spotted these guys while on a tapas tour. They were transporting wooden crosses from a van parked in Plaza Santa Cruz to… wherever. Probably the Santa Cruz Church. These will be carried by some of the Nazarenos (others carry long candles) during the Semana Santa processions. There is so much preparation that goes into this crazy week (I like it, but it really is crazy) that I find my heart aching for everyone who is going to be devastated by the seriously rainy-stormy weather, forecasted to start Palm Sunday. Let’s hope things clear up! Because if it rains, nothing happens.

signs of spring

14 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by azahar in fiestas, sevilla, spain

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

easter week, semana santa, sevilla, spain, wax warnings

slippery wax (1)
Or more specifically, signs of Easter in Sevilla. “Wax warning” signs put up around the city along procession routes. I’ve never seen these before so I’m guessing the city has been sued due to slippery wax related accidents…

In case you don’t know, penitents carry long candles during the Semana Santa processions that drip wax (cera) along the way. For a couple of weeks after Easter shoes and car tires make squeaky noises.
slippery wax (2)

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