Semana Santa in Rota

Semana Santa, or Holy Week in Spain is celebrated differently than in the United States. There are no Easter Parades with new bonnets, clothes on display. No Easter baskets for the children, and certainly not anything like Easter Egg Hunts and the like.

Rather Semana Santa is a totally religious event with national flags flying at half-mast in honor of the death of Jesus of Nazareth and generally the week preceding Easter Sunday is devoted to religious events centering around the processions of religious floats carried on the backs of many men, usually hired for that purpose by the fraternities or brotherhoods of the church the float comes from.

These floats are exceedingly heavy and generally they have elaborately hand-carved images of Christ crucified or carrying the cross upon which he is to be crucified or in repose after death, or the Madonna, and may have Roman soldiers and other figures associated with the crucifixion and are usually highly decorated with flowers, and lighted with hundreds of candles ranging from enormous one meter high candles to the size you would see on a dinner table.

The floats are proceeded by the members of the brotherhood wearing their distinctive costumes of ankle length robes in the colors of the brotherhood and wearing tall conical hats with hoods the cover their heads and faces completely with only small slits for the eyes. The remainder of the fraternity usually follow their float in a long double file and can be stretched out for many blocks. The individuals involved in the procession are considered to be doing penance. The purpose of these comical hats is to permit the penitent to remain unrecognized as he does his penance. Additionally, these processions are accompanied by ladies of the fraternity. Generally each fraternity will have a uniformed band of musicians playing music suitable for the occasion.

Here then are some photographs taken by a retired Navy Photographer's Mate, Charles Hampton, for your viewing pleasure and a few by your webmaster.

All of these photographs are uncaptioned as no notes were made with the photos, so shoot me. Perhaps you may recognize some of the fraternities from their colors if you have ever been in Rota during Semana Santa. Enjoy!!!

The article below is reprinted from the March 17, 2005 issue of "Rota Coastline"

Semana Santa

Jose Luis Clemente Berro

“Semana Santa,” or Holy Week, is when Spain commemorates Jesus’ death and resurrection. I still remember when, in the early sixties, all cinemas, cafeterias, stores, etc. were closed on Holy Thursday and Holy Friday. Even driving a car downtown was prohibited during these two days. Now, the situation has dramatically changed and you will have the opportunity to experience the holidays yourself. Semana Santa is one of the major events in Spain that attracts many foreign visitors to watch the parades.

Beginning March 20, Palm Sunday, this special week is marked by the procession of the image of Christ on the road to Jerusalem. This procession is also called “La Borriquita,” the little female donkey, because the float portrays Jesus riding on the donkey. Children wearing white gowns with the Saint James Cross and carrying palms escort the procession. During the entire week thousands of people gather in the streets of almost every town in Spain, especially during late evening and night.

Every procession has a scheduled itinerary that must be followed. When two processions meet in an intersection, the modern one has to yield to the old one. This itinerary is called “Carrera Oficial.” The brothers and penitents who participate by escorting the floats wear the typical costume that covers them from head to toe. The stiff pointy hood is the most characteristic part of their costume. Each penitent also carries a large thick candle called “Cirio.”

Some of the brotherhoods, “hermandades,” date back to the Middle Ages and originate from medieval guilds that consisted of workers such as carpenters, sailors or traders. The majority of the “hermandades” have two floats, one dedicated to Jesus and another dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The last day of Semana Santa is Easter, Resurrection Sunday. This day marks the beginning of the spring fairs and the bullfighting season.

If you are interested in experiencing Semana Santa but don’t want to worry about parking or finding the way to the processions, you may want to check out ITT’s “Semana Santa in Jerez” trip. But you must hurry; Tuesday, March 22 is the last day to sign up! Call ITT at extension 3101 for the date and time of the trip, or stop by the ITT office in building 42 to make your reservations.

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Easter Celebration Photos from Rota

Semana Santa