Semana Santa
Semana Santa or Holy Week is the observation dedicated to the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. This observance is celebrated all over the world from the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. This year (2009) Semana Santa was celebrated from April 3 - April 12.
One of the largest celebrations takes place in Antigua Guatemala. Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event, and thousands of national and international visitors flock to Antigua to witness the dramatic.
One of the largest celebrations takes place in Antigua Guatemala. Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event, and thousands of national and international visitors flock to Antigua to witness the dramatic.
New Text module
Semana Santa (or Holy Week) is the Spanish name for Easter. It dates back to the 16th century when the Church decided to present the story of the Passion of Christ in a way that the layperson could understand. It was decided that the best way to do this would be a series of processions through the streets, depicting scenes from the story of the fall and rise again of Jesus Christ.Though the style and mood of Semana Santa in Spain varies from city to city, the basic components remain the same. Each day there is a number of processions, one from each brotherhood in the city, made up of floats which are carried from their church to the cathedral and back again. Most brotherhoods carry two floats, one with Christ and one with his mourning mother, Mary the Virgin.
Each procession is different and each one has its own particular followers, either due to the location of the church or the exact nature of the procession (the presence of or type of music, the time of day, etc).
The floats are heavy, especially so in Andalusia, which is the most extravagant region for Semana Santa. Strong men carry the floats, but with the procession lasting many hours, even they will feel the pain. The suffering experienced is likened to that experienced by Christ and the men (known as costaleros) consider it a great honor to carry the float, despite (and indeed, because of) the pain involved.
The Fiestas of Spain
- The Fiestas of Spain : Semana Santa, Andalucia
- While Semana Santa is a national tradition throughout Spain, the "Andalucians" arguably "feel" the week more than other regions of Spain. Throughout seven days, Andalucia is surrounded by a spiritual halo. Semana Santa is a tradition which is repeated year after year; a time when the devout and curious join together to participate in the procession and converge on the streets and squares which take on the ambience and mystique of an open air temple.

Getting ready for the procession
Amazon Semana Santa
News
- Mr. Market Needs Some Culture
- Communities shutter their stores for Semana Santa -- the Holy Week -- and relatives travel vast distances to spend the week with one another. Of course, this means that the days and weeks leading up to the holiday produce heavy volume for any company.
- SEVILLE, SPAIN
- But if you're looking for spectacle, Seville offers far better during Semana Santa (Holy Week) and its extravagant followup, the Feria, a six-week antidote to the privation and dutiful abstinence of the Easter season. This is when Seville comes into ...
- On the road with condoms in Catholic Spain
- In the land of Semana Santa, home of the Spanish Inquisition (Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), spawner of Catholic missions up and down the state of California, what did we find out front our Madrid hotel? A vending machine that dispenses ...
- Fallece Pascual Ribera, ex vicepresidente de la Semana Santa Marinera
- El ex vicepresidente de la Junta Mayor de la Semana Santa Marinera, Pascual Ribera Serra, falleció ayer por la tarde tras sufrir un infarto mientras estaba ingresado en el Hospital Clínico. Ribera, considerado uno de los cofrades relevantes de la ...
Semana Santa Holy Week

- Semana Santa Holy Week
- Holy Week in Antigua
The observance of Semana Santa and Lent adds to the importance of Antigua (La Antigua) Guatemala. The city was declared a National Monument by the Guatemalan government in 1944, a Monument of the Americas by the General Assembly of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History in 1965 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 (site number 65).
Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event, and thousands of national and international visitors flock to Antigua to witness the dramatic happenings. Taking place sometime between March 22 and April 23, the entire week is full of solemn activities that replicate the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ, culminating in jubilation on Easter....
Semana Santa - Mexico

- MEXonline.com Mexican Holidays - Semana Santa - Mexico
- Semana Santa is Mexico's second most important holiday season of the year, behind only Christmas, and runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. In addition to attending Mass on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, many Mexicans will also take advantage of the holiday to go on vacation. If you're planning to visit Mexico during Semana Santa, make sure you checked on availability in advance.
Semana Santa Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala, one of the biggest events for Semana Santa
Drop A Note
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Jimmie
Apr 17, 2009 @ 7:10 am | delete
- A most interesting ritual. The sacrifice Jesus made should be commemorated frequently by believers.
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