Holy Week. Religious, social and cultural tradition.
The traditional Holy Week processions began to be celebrated in Malaga after the entry of the Catholic Monarchs into the city in 1487. The conversion of the inhabitants to Catholicism and the arrival of new settlers, mostly from Castile, meant, after centuries of Muslim influence, a new dimension in the religious expression of the people of Malaga. However, the Council of Trent in the 16th century and the subsequent Counter-Reformation were the events that most influenced the way the Passion and Death of Jesus was celebrated in Malaga.
Holy Week is part of our traditions, being a religious, social and cultural celebration that is celebrated every year in the city. With its 45 processions, this celebration provides unparalleled experiences, mixing the religious and devotional with the folkloric.
The brotherhoods are the centre of the celebration. Many of them have more than five centuries of history.
We know the processions when the floats approach, as they are called throughout the country, but here in Malaga we call them thrones. Thrones because they are enormous masses of approximately 3 or 4 tons. The images are in their temples throughout the year, but in the days before Holy Week, they are moved to the Brotherhood Houses, where the thrones are found throughout the year. The Brotherhood Houses are used throughout the year to hold meetings of brothers, carry out charity events and meals and, depending on the date, set up nativity scenes or markets to help the most disadvantaged.
The thrones are carried by brothers and sisters who have the status of throne bearers. These are carried on the shoulders of these people through poles, offering their effort to the sacred images, being rocked throughout the route through the streets of the city. It is said in a dreamlike way that the thrones simulate enormous ships that rock through the wide streets of Malaga to the rhythm of the waves of our Mediterranean Sea.
As the thrones pass by, one can perceive an indescribable sensory experience through all the senses, since we can smell the incense that accompanies them, see their artistic and devotional beauty, hear the sounds of the music bands that accompany the processions and the saetas, touch the prints that are distributed among the people gathered in the streets and taste the delicious “cascaruos” lemons, which are nothing more than a variety of lemon with a very thick peel, cut into four pieces and served on the street, seasoned only with salt and a little bicarbonate.
This experience is unparalleled, since it not only excites the material senses, but also the spiritual senses of all the people who witness it, whether local or foreign.
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