HOLY WEEK IN LEON

From 24th March to 31st March

for Its Holy Week traditions or Semana

Santa

Spain is especially renowned for Its Holy Week traditions or SemanaSanta

Holy week is the last week of the 40 days of lent.

It is the week right before Easter Sunday.

THIS IS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY

Many Christians celebrate Holy Week to commemorate the final days of Jesus.

Holy Week processions in León are very popular.

More than 15.000 penitents called papones

walk on the streets

These papones carry procesional candles andwooden crosses

It starts with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday

.

The most solemn and famous procession is the “Procesión del Encuentro”

(Procession of the meeting).

During this nine-hour marathon procession,about 4.000 penitents carry 13 ¨pasos ¨around all the city

The most solenm moment is “ El encuentro” (the meeting) .

the pasos representing Saint John and the virgin called “La Dolorosa” face one to the other and are bailados “(penitents move the paso as if Saint John and La Dolorosa were dancing).

The garment consists in a tunic, a hood with a conical tip (capirote) used to conceal the face of the wearer, and

sometimes a cloak

The colours and forms of these robes depend on the particular procession.

The robes were widely used in the medieval period for penitents, who could demonstrate their penance while still masking their identity.

BYVILLA ROMANA SCHOOL

TO MELLING SCHOOL

HAPPY EASTER!!!