An alternative Easter this year
This Sunday is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Semana Santa – Easter week, probably the most important date of the church calendar. Usually towns and cities across Spain will have nightly processions and Benidorm would have been no exception. Except sadly as we know, nothing will happen this year due to the virus and lockdown.
Traditionally the resort would be bustling, with lots of Brits here for the school holidays as well as many domestic tourists from Madrid, flocking here for the long weekend break. Now understandably it’s a ghost town with only the police patrolling the streets and people far and few, quickly nipping out to do some food shopping. But I will indulge you with what normally takes place during this coming week, leading up to Easter Sunday, which this year is on April 12.
The entire week would be full of the most spectacular parades, all starting up at the San Jaime church at the top of the Old Town, winding down the tiny cobbled streets, carrying the magnificent “Pasos” extremely heavy floats with sculptures depicting the Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. It really is quite incredible to watch and someone has to walk on ahead and lift the overhead rather low lying cables up to enable the processions to pass. They have a rhythm, swaying from side to side and guiding them will be a man with a hand bell, which he rings to direct them. At intervals he will signal for them to stop and rest, then ring the bell for them to re-start.
You will see and hear them coming, with spontaneous applause breaking out along the route. Many holidaymakers are startled when they see the costumes worn by the ‘Nazarenos’, who escort the floats, consisting of a tunic and conical hood to mask their faces – somewhat reminiscent of the far right KKK. However, these go back to medieval times, enabling the wearer to repent for their sins and seek forgiveness from God while masking their identity from all others. They will also be symbolically chained together and bare-footed, and the hoods signify the mourning of the death of Jesus Christ, which will be removed on Easter Sunday. Marching bands will also accompany each of the floats, adding to the occasion. The Nazarenos belong to a brotherhood, each identified by the colour of the robes that they wear. Following them will be the women, immaculately dressed in black with veils and carrying candles… young girls even join their mothers and grandmothers and so training the next generation to continue the custom.
Good Friday will see the climax of the Easter Processions – with all of the brotherhoods from churches in Benidorm taking part. It is very rousing and emotional to watch and a tradition here in Spain that has been going – and no doubt will continue, for many many years. There is no worry of upsetting other religions as there perhaps is in the UK and you certainly won’t be able to witness anything like it back there.
I am confident that next year it will be an even bigger occasion than normal, to make up for this year. So in 2021 Easter will fall on April 4, therefore the parades will begin on Sunday, March 28… just in case you want to make a note or plan to use that flight voucher you have been issued in lieu of your canceled flight this year!
Personally I am not that religious, I’d called myself a relapsed catholic. But my childhood was certainly governed by religion and I had no choice but to go to church every Sunday, like many of my peers. I took my First Holy Communion aged 8 (I think) wearing my mini meringue dress and likewise, my daughter also did the same at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Mayfair, London. Some find a kind of solace in God (like my mother) and to a degree I envy that – but if I am totally honest I am neither here or there about God. However, watching the news broadcasts over the week, as we are all doing, I was totally taken aback by a report from Moscow. The camera crew were outside a church, where they were literally packed like sardines (I can relate to that being of East European heritage) and there was absolutely no social distancing there. One older lady came out and the reporter asked if she was not worried about the spread of the virus and being so close to one another. Her answer literally left me flabbergasted “God would not allow us to catch the virus in his church” was her reply… but almost, if not more worrying was the fact that she was a doctor!
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