Notes from a Small Spanish Village – Easter

Notes from a Small Spanish Village – Easter

I love a good parade and it’s something that the Spanish do very well!

It’s brilliant that you can see great parades on the streets of the major towns and cities for Christmas (3 Kings), Carnival in February and Easter, as well as a few local festivities thrown in for good measure.

Easter is one of the most important weeks in the Catholic calendar and every day of the week is marked with a procession. In Malaga these are huge affairs, attracting hundreds of thousands of people and comprising of many parades leaving from different parts of the city at different times.

I have previously watched them in the Old Town of Marbella, where they leave from gorgeous little chapels and wind through the cobbled streets and plazas as well as the main roads and are a great spectacle.

Palm Sunday this year was the first time I have watched the parade in a village setting and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have to say that I was impressed. Although these parades are never going to be big, they are really charming, as the whole community takes part and for me the ability to walk there (and not stress about parking) is fantastic. As it’s a small affair, we were able to get a corner table in a cafe right where the procession would pass, only 10 minutes before it was going to arrive (never possible in a bigger city) and watch the whole thing really easily with no big crowds or crush.

This gave a very picturesque and comfortable place for me to give my son my horribly ill informed run down of the Easter Week, which didn’t go quite as I planned and I was pleased that no one around me could speak English. After my summary of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, being captured by Roman guards, crucified and killed, before rising from the dead he said that next year in the parade he wanted to die – like the people with the cross! Thankfully I was able to switch this idea to playing the drum in the parade rather than dying which he seemed pleased about, but I was pleased not to have been overheard.

We were then able to enjoy the parade right on the corner of the main street, going in for a closer look at the “throne” of Jesus on a donkey whilst the guys took a break and saying hi to my son’s head teacher and lunch lady at the same time. Then we walked around taking pictures and then walking ahead of it and back for an ice lolly before hitting the beach, a really relaxed, fun and enjoyable day, with buckets of village charm and a lovely setting. Thanks Manilva!

Looking forward to the rest of the processions, I would thoroughly recommend taking a look at your local Easter parades if you’re in Spain, they are very special.