Processions

Now that we've discussed the Alfombra's, we can move on to the processions for which the Alfombra's are the welcome mat.

For Good Friday there are two processions. The first is the Stations of the cross. This consists of one procession with a platform of Jesus and the cross (you can click on the picture to enlarge it)

and a second procession that starts from a different street with Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdelene, and John, the Beloved Disciple.

At the fourth station where Jesus meets his mother, the two processions meet, and the platforms with Jesus and Mary bow to each other. Very cool.

The platforms are big, very big, especially Jesus' platform. The volunteers carrying Jesus wear white robes and black clothes over their head, they are all male. The volunteers carrying Mary and the other two are all female, are dressed all in white, and have a white covering over their hair. Since the act of supporting the platforms is seen as a form of penance, many of the bearers proceed without shoes. I was sweating just standing in the immense crowd, I can't imagine how difficult it was to carry those platforms for the several hours the procession lasted.

But that's not all! Later that night, after the Good Friday service, there is Jesus' funeral procession. Complete with clouds of incense.

And I thought the platform of Jesus from the Stations was big, the platform for the funeral procession is mammoth! There were at least 25 men on each side with extra guys to rotate out. Sydney and I decided the funeral procession platform was a tad over the top and the decorations terribly tacky. Molly defended it stating the symbolism of the various items festooned all over the platform. She made a good case, yet still the tackyness remained.


Well, I thought the processions for the holiday were done. And I was mistaken.

Easter vigil, nice long service in which I was pleased to discover I understood several of the reading. Once I picked out which story was being read, it was a breeze to understand from there. At the end of the service everyone shifted to one exit for, you guessed, another procession. And what a fun procession it proved to be. I admit, my first thought went something along the lines of, "you're kidding, another procession?"

This procession consisted of the Resurrected Christ on a reasonably sized platform, and then Mary, Mary, and John again, and to switch things up, they threw in the angel announcing Jesus is risen, however this angel was a real little girl. Darn cute little girl too!

Then the fun began. Tradition is that when the angel runs, everyone runs with her. Why is the angel running? To tell Mary her son is risen! She travels between Mary in one street and Jesus in another saying "Jesus, do you want to see your mom? Come with me."

Then streaks off to the other street where she meets Mary and says, "Mary, do you want to see your son? Come with me." She goes back and forth a few times with most of the younger girls, boys, and foreigners running in front of or behind her.

Reminded me of the running of the bulls. I lagged behind to catch my breath, only to see a fresh wave of screaming, running, people coming directly at me with a platformed angel chasing them! So much fun. I too did some screaming - it's tradition. :)