The title of this post, “Virgins are Hugely Popular” is from an article on an often-useful commercial British travel site called Andalucia.com. And I quote:
“Religious Virgins are hugely popular in Andalucia; they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year in glass-covered alcoves at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.”
I guess this means that atheist and agnostic virgins are not hugely popular (I wonder what they’re made of). Also, I question the statistics (99.9 percent?), as well as their theories on housekeeping (dusted down … at Easter time?), not to mention the rest of this peculiar description.
But, it’s true that the Virgen del Carmen has her own special day, 16 July. And this year I saw her likeness carried through the streets, floated into the Mediterranean Sea (in the company of hundreds of well-wishers), and back out again. I followed closely behind and almost went in the water myself, but realized I wouldn’t be able to keep my camera high and dry. Besides, being an atheist, I felt strange getting caught up among the devotees instead of marveling from the sidelines. (Click any image to enlarge and don’t miss the fireworks — coming tomorrow.)
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| THE BAND LEADING THE PROCESSION ONTO THE PASEO. |
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| MARCHING BAND FROM THE CITY OF MIJAS. |
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THE BROTHERHOOD FROM THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF CARMEN
(WHICH IS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, LOS BOLICHES). |
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| SHE IS HEAVY. |
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| ABOUT TO ROUND THE CORNER. |
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| PASSING THE ROMAN COLUMNS (DUG UP A FEW BLOCKS AWAY). |
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| LET THERE BE LIGHTS… |
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WORKING OUR WAY ALONG THE BEACH.
(THIS IS WHERE THE VIRGIN WAS TO EXIT THE WATER.) |
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| CONTINUING ON… LOOKING BACK TOWARDS HOME. |
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| COMING ONTO THE BEACH AND HEADING FOR THE SURF. |
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| I FOLLOWED BEHIND. |
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| INTO THE WATER. |
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HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE ALREADY IN THE WATER TO MEET THEM.
HUNDREDS MORE FOLLOWED. |
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GODDESS ELENA,
(WHO DID GET IN THE WATER). |
