While Americans and others may celebrate Easter only on a
Sunday, that occasion is marked in Spain by an entire week of
festivities known as Semana Santa, or Holy Week. The Holy Week
festivals that take place all over the country are especially
marked in Andalucia. Here, the emphasis is less on doleful
repentance and more on celebration of the central figures of
Christianity. The central feature of all those activities are
the notable processions that take place in every town in the
region. The times, participants and style varies considerably
from town to town. But almost all have some common themes.
Typically, traffic is closed off to allow for the floats and the
hundreds or sometimes even thousands of people that precede or
follow them. The festival is marked by religious figures dressed
in Church finery carrying candles and directing the parade.
Encircled by them is the main focus of the event: the floats.
Every float is a unique and creative construction that contains
a figure of Jesus, Mary or an import