Seville greets spring with stunning festivals
Seville boasts colorful celebrations of spring and EasterSpring in southern Spain is a stunning season. Seville, the cultural capital, with flights from London Heathrow, is famous for its festivals within two weeks of each other, the Semana Santa and Feria de Abril.
Semana Santa (the Holy Week) is celebrated during the week before Easter with solemn, but stunning processions. Pasos, religious wooden floats, some of which are antique masterpieces, atop which sit images of Jesus and Mary, are the key part of the celebrations. For ‘costaleros’ it is both a once in a lifetime honour and a challenge – some of the floats weigh over 2,000kg! Semana Santa, a very important celebration for the local Catholic community, is organized by religious brotherhoods (called hermandades and cofradías).
There are about 60 separate processions during the week, which reach a climax on Good Friday, when they leave churches and weave through the streets at night. Some are silent; others feature music from acapella choirs to brass, drum and trumpet bands. The penitents are dressed in Klu Klux Klan-esque gear for anonymity.
About two weeks later, the area just outside Seville is transformed into a small artificial city of casetas, or canvas tent pavilions, during the Feria de Abril. Inside each caseta, there is a bar, kitchen and sound system playing the official folk music of the region, Sevillanas. Although there are seven public pavilions, most are private and are open only to their guests.
Real de la Feria is bonanza of colour thanks to the traditional costumes worn by the natives. Men wear a short-cut jacket, fitted pants and wide brimmed hats while ladies sport ‘gypsy’ or flamenco dresses with matching accessories.
