La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Our first year in Spain, while we lived in Sevilla, San Geraldo and I marvelled at the seemingly endless processions. Not just during Holy Week but every week of the year. There was always some virgin (or saint) to be honored. We’d smell incense and turn a corner or step onto one of our balconies to come face to face with a statue being hefted on burly shoulders. During Holy Week alone there were 67 different processions through the city. And since we lived on a historic plaza in the old centre, we were right in the middle of many of them.
Well, anti-social San Geraldo got the brilliant idea that rather than having to socialize or even go out in public, he should have one day a year when he would be paraded through the streets (on burly shoulders) and then go back into storage (I mean hiding) for the rest of the year. Then he had an even better idea. Leap year 2012 was fast approaching. He could be hauled out only once every four years.
I christened the day “Día Cuadrienal de San Geraldo” (San Geraldo’s Quadrennial Day). Our brother-in-law Tom and I bought SG a crown that year that looked just like one of the ones his 22-greats grandfather, Ferdinand III, wore. The next leap year, 2016, SG thought I should have hired a crew of musclemen to carry him around. I let him down again in 2020.
This year, I completely forgot it was leap year. So I missed the Fourth Quadrennial Día de San Geraldo. Maybe there’s still time before our dinner later in the week. Does anyone know of any local studs who’d like to earn a few euros? I think I’d need just six and we can use a living room chair. Meanwhile, dinner out last night was a pleasure.
Nuestro primer año en España, mientras vivíamos en Sevilla, San Geraldo y yo nos maravillamos ante las procesiones aparentemente interminables. No sólo durante la Semana Santa sino todas las semanas del año. Siempre había alguna virgen (o santa) a quien honrar. Olíamos incienso y doblamos una esquina o salíamos a uno de nuestros balcones para encontrarnos cara a cara con una estatua cargada sobre hombros fornidos. Sólo durante la Semana Santa hubo 67 procesiones diferentes por la ciudad. Y como vivíamos en una plaza histórica del casco antiguo, estábamos justo en medio de muchas de ellas.
Bueno, el antisocial San Geraldo tuvo la brillante idea de que, en lugar de tener que socializar o incluso salir en público, debería tener un día al año en el que lo harían desfilar por las calles (sobre hombros fornidos) y luego regresar al almacén. (Me refiero a esconderme) durante el resto del año. Entonces tuvo una idea aún mejor. El año bisiesto 2012 se acercaba rápidamente. Sólo podían sacarlo una vez cada cuatro años.
El día lo bauticé “Día Cuadrienal de San Geraldo”. Nuestro cuñado Tom y yo le compramos a SG una corona ese año que se parecía a una de las que llevaba su bisabuelo de 22 años, Fernando III. El siguiente año bisiesto, 2016, SG pensó que debería haber contratado a un grupo de hombres musculosos para transportarlo. Lo decepcioné nuevamente en 2020.
Este año, olvidé por completo que era año bisiesto. Así que me perdí el Cuarto Día Cuatrienal de San Geraldo. Quizás todavía haya tiempo antes de nuestra cena más adelante en la semana. ¿Alguien conoce algún semental local al que le gustaría ganarse unos euros? Creo que necesitaría sólo seis y podemos usar una silla de la sala. Mientras tanto, cenar fuera anoche fue un placer.
• Primero Día Cuadrienal de San Geraldo. Esta foto fue tomada en uno de nuestros balcones en Sevilla. Lo único que fue retocado con Photoshop es la bata.
• Segundo Día Cuadrienal de San Geraldo (como el abuelo Fernando III, también santo).
• Tercero Día Cuadrienal de San Geraldo.
• Todos decidieron cantarla en inglés y sólo dos sabían la letra. Me pregunto si lo que SG quiso decir al final fue: “¡No nos estamos volviendo más jóvenes!” en lugar de “Vamos. Aquí no somos viejos”.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
If I found a set of six willing studs, I could think of better things to do with them than have them carry an Emperor’s chair… Jx
The Emperors bed would be another sordid story…….
Mistress Borghese:
And one I look forward to sharing.
Jon:
Well, they do have to put him down at some point.
I love that day!!!!! We shall declare Quadrennial San Geraldo Day a International Holiday written into law through the efforts of the House of Borghese!!!!!!
And I may be able to send you a dozen or so houseboys upon request and at a moment notice…purely on loan you understand….
Mistress Borghese:
Yes, please send the houseboys ASAP. I think 6 will do, but they have to be here Thursday afternoon. We’ll keep them busy until it‘s time.
The 29th is 17 days away, there should be a few bearers on the beach. You can pick their wardrobe.
David:
We observe the day on his birthday. But I’m delaying it until Thursday this time. And, if I have to, yes, there’s always the 19th.
This is such a funny and creative post! Each of your photoshopped tributes to San Geraldo’s Quadrennial Day gets better and better, lol! Can’t wait to see what you produce for this leap year!
Debra:
I’m thinking. Wouldn’t it be great if I didn’t have to Photoshop anything?
Happy Birthday Geraldo!
Frank:
He says thanks.
Well, a man of San Geraldo’s stature and so-obvious royal bloodline definitely deserves to be carried about by handsome hunks in his own procession! I think that guy on the far right in the last photo could carry him without help on his own shoulders. Those back muscles are giving me the vapors.
I hope that your darling man made a wish before he blew out that candle.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
Do you BELIEVE that guy?!? I thought, Wow!
Those photos of SanG on his Quadrennials are hysterical 🤣. Maybe you can get his image turned into a cardboard cutout for the studs to carry through the streets. As a backup …. have you seen those funny videos of family gatherings where the guys unknowingly show up wearing the same shirt because the wives got together and bought each the same? SanG’s Quadrennial image on T-shirts and all his friends/neighbors wearing would be fun.
Shirley:
Or I could get a life-sized cutout of a group of hunks!
The photos are brilliant, esp. the one of the statue, which borders on genius. “I think I’d need just six and we can use a living room chair”, the mind boggles on that one…
wickedhamster:
I would love to boggle SG’s mind.
Happy birthday, SG! The third quadrennial photo wins the prize, I think. 🙂
Steve:
I have something to live up to I guess.
YAY! Happy Birthday, Jerry! One day of celebration can last you a year!
Jim:
And we always celebrate more than one day.
All the best that CAKE can offer! Soak up the attention, buddy~ you can handle it! 🙂
Ron:
Now if it were MY birthday, SG would provide a beautiful cake.
Boud here, suggesting that leaping be featured in this leap year’s celebration. And he could sit in a litter, like old King Cole, held shoulder high by burly youths, well you can dream.
Boud:
The litter (called a Paso) is exactly what he imagines, but I don’t think I could afford it. Do you suppose one of the nearby Catholic brotherhoods would lend me one?
What a hoot! I’ll admit I’m a little disappointed to learn the robe SG is wearing with the crown is photoshopped. Something like that should be hanging in his wardrobe.
His birthday might be over, but leap day is still ahead. I look forward to seeing if you manage to round up some litter bearers for the procession.
Kelly:
SG was quite worried about that robe. I stole it from Jesus of the Great Power (Jesus del Gran Poder), the holiest of holy statues during Semana Santa (Holy Week).
So THAT’S where the crown in the pic came from 🙂
Sassybear:
And it’s displayed in my office year-round.
I’ve always wanted to be lifted up by burly shoulders
finlaygray:
I never really thought about being lifted by them, but I’ve thought about burly shoulders.
The photos are hilarious. I’ve always wondered about the crown. If you can’t find the hunks to carry SG, then look for the horse named Desconado. I was laughing about that again this afternoon when some Eagles music came on.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Descanado hasn’t yet come to his senses.
Happy birthday, San Geraldo. I sure envy him being in the middle of all those hot, shirtless men.
Kirk:
So, do I. I suppose I could photoshop any one of us.
“… step onto one of our balconies.” One can never have too many.
It’s not leap year until the 29th. Hurry!
Walt the Fourth:
The Saint’s day is the 11th, but we can do whatever we want.