Seville's Holy Week: A Blend of Faith, Tradition, and Spectacle
Discover how Seville's Semana Santa blends religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and captivating pageantry, despite Spain's declining religious observance.
In Seville, Spain, the annual observance of Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is a captivating blend of faith, tradition, and spectacle that continues to draw crowds despite the country's declining religious observance. Semana Santa is the week leading up to Easter, and in Seville, it is marked by elaborate processions that showcase the city's deep-rooted Catholic heritage.
At the heart of these processions are the penitents, who wear traditional costumes that include pointed hoods, a sight that may be reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan for some American onlookers. However, this Catholic garb predates the American hate group by centuries, with roots tracing back to medieval times.
Source: NPR
