Farewell to Semana Santa

Today, the last day of Semana Santa, we went out to see more pasos, to get some churros, and to say farewell to Semana Santa. I knew Semana Santa would be a big deal here in Sevilla and I was so excited that I would be able to be in Sevilla to celebrate Semana Santa where it is so famous, but I do not really know what I expected it to actually be like. It is an interesting concept—religious parades all day every day for a whole week. If we have debates about Nativity Scenes or the Ten Commandments being displayed in public places, I cannot imagine something like Semana Santa happening in the States. Here in Sevilla, everyone goes to mass during Semana Santa and is in the streets watching the pasos. Although they might not be practicing Catholics during the rest of the year, for Semana Santa, at least, everyone is Catholic. It was interesting to be a part of a festival that has such a strong religious theme but is much more cultural and not exactly religious at all anymore. For example, there are normally a lot of street performers in el Centro because it is a rather touristy area and they can get the attention (and money) that they want, but during Semana Santa the streets were full of every street performer I have ever seen there, plus new ones, all to make the most of the crowds of people. There were people selling balloons and there were stands selling popcorn, cotton candy, and silly toy horns and things—all stuff I would expect at something like the Strawberry Festival that happens in my home town or something similar, but not at what I perceived as a serious religious festival. There are people, like my señora Carmen, for whom Semana Santa holds deep religious significance, but largely it seems that people are there for the show, not because it is part of their faith or religious expression. I have really enjoyed Semana Santa, and I hope you maybe learned something new or at least enjoyed some of the stories I have had to tell. Thanks for reading and Happy Easter.