Semana Santa: Women And Children First

San Geraldo, our friend Kristina, and I decided take in one of the several processions slowly making their way through the streets of Málaga yesterday. There are five to ten processions every day of Easter Week. Málaga’s processions are much larger and grander than what we have in our nearby town of 75,000. And they’re very different from Sevilla’s processions, which can make you feel like you’ve gone back in time 400 years (not a good thing here in Spain, but fascinating).

I’D RUN, TOO.

I suggested taking in a day-time procession. The crowds would be smaller and we might get some better (although less dramatic and mystical) photos. We ended up watching from a great spot in a contemporary section of the city. Seeing the processions in the old city center is much more picturesque (and, again, more dramatic and mystical). But we managed to catch the one early procession of the day (which began around 3:45 p.m. and would run until 2:30 a.m. or 4:30 a.m. depending on where you got your info. The procession we saw had not one but two pasos (floats) — also called tronos (thrones). Those are images to come this week. Here, first, are some of the women and children (and some men).

(Click any image for biblical proportions.)

FRIEND OF A PENITENT? (TOO MANY OF THESE SEMI-PARTICIPANTS, IF YOU ASK ME.)

“DO YOU SMELL SMOKE?”

BLACK LACE AND MANTILLAS… TO SIGNIFY MOURNING THE DEATH OF JESUS.

LOTS OF BLACK LACE.

VERY STYLISH MOURNERS.

TALK ABOUT SUFFERING! YOU TRY WALKING IN THOSE HEELS FOR 10 HOURS.

I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE ANYTHING TO ATONE FOR.

THIS LITTLER SINNER HAS HAD ENOUGH. TIME FOR A BANANA … AND A NAP.

MORE ‘FRIENDS’ GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE CAMERAS. APPARENTLY, BLACK IS HER HAPPY COLOR.

“LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SHAKE YOUR HAND!”

THE SMOKING SECTION.

The Platters…