Hats on: Penitents mark start of Holy Week

Penitents of the ‘La Paz’ brotherhood make their way to church for a Palm Sunday procession in Sevilla as part of the Holy Week. The long conical hats worn by the members originate in the hats worn by people found guilty of religious crimes in the Spanish Inquisition. Those criminals would walk the streets in the hats while they were mocked and insulted by the crowds. By donning the hats in Spain’s Easter celebrations, penitents are also re-enacting Christ’s road to Calvary. Thousands of Christian pilgrims also took part in Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem at the start of the Holy Week, as worshippers carried palm fronds and olive branches in a march from the top of the Mount of Olives to the Old City.