Over break, I went out every day to see Cofradias. Cofradias are religious parades made up of several things. The cofradia begins with a band, which plays a set song for the cofradia, and is followed by nazarenos, the guys in the KKK hats, of colors specific to the church they are from. Behind the nazarenos come a second band and the first paso, which is usually a depiction of Jesus Christ from some point in the Passion. When I say depiction, I mean a life-sized and incredibly detailed, lacquered and painted wooden carving, which is set up upon a giant pallet of gorgeously carved wood, often coated in gold leaf, and decorated with flowers and ornate candles. These huge things are carried by people, who are covered by a thick cloth that goes around the paso. See following video, should it work.
After that come some penitentes, people in kkk hats without the cones underneath carrying giant wooden crosses on their backs. Usually they are barefoot. Then comes a paso of the Virgen Mary, also a life sized carving, but clothed in priceless fabrics and jewels, beneath a great canopy that supposedly represents her sorrow held up by silver or gold poles, followed by another band. They take around an hour on average to pass a given point. I saw at least one every day, most days two, from sunday, when they started marching, until la Madrugada, which is the night of Thursday/morning of Friday and has something to do with when Jesus was crucified, and is when all of the major cofradias march. I got in Friday morning after having been out all night in the sudden cold snap at 7:30 am, promptly passed out to the birdsong and woke up with a cold which I still have. But, while I would never do the Madrugada again unless someone I was with really wanted to see it or something, and certainly never do it in less than a full on winter coat, accompanied by a great quantity of rum, Semana Santa over all was perhaps the most profound example of cultural individuality I have come across in my short life. It was an illuminating and profound experience, and I don't think I would mind doing it again - during the daylight and/or evening (up til 1 am) hours.
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