Feelings of the Day: Seeing people celebrate special events and holidays is a pleasure when traveling. It might mean that things have shorter hours or are closed, but you get a glimpse into what makes them a unique community. Isn’t one of the reasons we travel is to see how other communities and cultures live?
Full Day’s Events: Later today my friends would be returning from their three nights biking. Tidying up the common area of the main residence, after having a breakfast of scrambled eggs and canned mackerel, I took a moderate walk. Heading up to the Plaza Mayor, I noticed the hermitage church had its doors open. Having not gone inside yet, I looked around this tiny, but ornate, place of worship.
At the plaza many folks were already here. Children were playing in distant corners and adults greeted friends and family. Most everyone made an effort to dress up as this was Easter Sunday and Jesus and Mary were to meet at noon, or at least their effigies on their pasos (platforms) would.
I should note that although the organizations that parade with the pasos and play instruments are called brotherhoods, they have given up being male only organizations generations ago. When Franco was alive, being a practicing Catholic was mandatory and if you were not then you attracted questioning. After his death, the number of devout Catholics who attended church each week quickly dwindled. The majority of Spaniards still participate or attend in important religious ceremonies, as a matter of tradition and as an excuse for a family gathering, just like today.
The first to arrive were the Brotherhood wearing black garb and green trim, with the Mary pasos. Her effigy was dressed in mourning clothes, and was being held up entirely by men.,Once they reached the edge of the plaza they waited. Just before noon, the Jesus pasos and effigy entered the square, from another street, entirely held up by women. With hesitation the two effigies moved through the plaza mayor, stopped at a distance, got closer, and bowed to one another.
Then the mourning shawl and headscarf were removed from Mary, and she was crowned. The band struck up a triumphant song and led the Jesus effigy and pasos out by another street to another church, where he would be stored until next year, while Mary went to a different church. Everyone resumed meeting each other. The children pulled away from their parents to again join with old friends and new. I enjoyed the event and noticed that there were several families of the Muslim faith who attended as well, whose children were playing with other children. A community event.
Heading back I had lunch, read, and started on an oven cooked vegetable stew with sausages on top. My friends arrived fifteen minutes before it was done, which was good timing for myself. In retrospect I should have gone with my gut and boiled the potatoes a bit before cooking them with the vegetables, as they were a little undercooked. Subsequent reheating in the microwave made them 100% done. After supper we retired early to our respected domiciles. 2.14km and 10 flights walked.
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