SEMANA SANTA
When I kept a second home in Spain I always tried to be there for Easter for the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions and celebrations. It is a special time in all of Spain and Latin counties but nowhere more intense than Andalucia, and in particular Malaga and Seville. In 2026, for the first time, I photographed every day from the first procession on Domingo de Ramas (Palm Sunday) to the only and final procession on Domingo de Resurrección, (Easter Sunday).
From Sunday to Saturday there are four or five processions each day starting at around 3pm with the last of the day as late as midnight. Each procession is organised by a Confradia or Hermanadades (brotherhoods). The floats are called Tronos (Thrones) and are carried by between 120 and 280 Hombres de Trono, men and a few women. The processions over historical routes take from 4 to 10 hours and will include many Nazarenes in beautiful matching attire carrying candles and other religious items. Many will be wearing Capirote, the pointed hood with holes to see out which they have to hold almost constantly to align the eyes with the holes. No procession would be complete without the “Mantillas”, the Mujeres de Mantilla (women wearing black lace veil) and the Monaquillo or Acolito (Altar Server or Acolyte) swinging their Incensarios and making clouds of incense smoke.
They are amazing spectacles to watch as they salide (leave) the Confradia’s building where the thrones are kept. They leave gleaming and festooned with flowers. Then the huge weights are manipulated and guided with precision through the narrow streets of old Malaga, the only instructions are the ring of the bell one, prepare, two rings stop, one more ring put down. On leaving the same one, two, one, only the third is lift.
With every procession is a band, or two, with many drums, traditional brass instruments and lots of bugles.
There is, for me, one very special procession on Lunes Santo (Holy Monday) it is Gitanos (Gypsey). Andalucia would not be the same without them. They are the wonderful guitarists and musicians, the flamenco dancers and most of the bull fighters too. Everything they do, they do with added passion. A few hundred followed their Throne and every time it was put down the guitars were played and the flamencos started. I’ve included several photos from that day. I stayed with them for about 2 hours and had a great time.
Amongst the photos you will see a man and woman blindfolded. They are remembering a dear one who has died recently or making a penitential act. The gypsey woman was mourning her mother who died in 2025.
I hope you enjoy this selection, as always best viewed on a big screen.
