My once unconditional love for Spain is slowly dying. As I read the newspaper headlines saying that 5,640 million Spaniards are now out of work, I can't help but feel disgust. Today and tomorrow Spain is on a long holiday or puente celebrating Labor Day. Isn't it ironic?
Unemployment rises 6.9% to 5.6 million in first quarter of 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Spain's Version of Valentine's Day
As I had stated in an earlier post, Valentine’s Day is not a traditional Spanish celebration, but in my opinion, Spain actually has a better version of lovers’ day. Today is Sant Jordi (Saint George), the patron saint of Catalonia. Legend says that after Sant Jordi killed the dragon in a town called Montblanc, a red rose grew up from the ground where the dragon’s blood was spilt. Thus the tradition of giving your loved one a red rose began in medieval times. In the 20th century a bookseller decided to add giving a book in exchange for a rose since both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes shared this day as their death date. This tradition inspired UNESCO to declare April 23rd the International Day of the Book. Eventhough this started in Catalonia, most of Spain’s cities and towns carry on with the tradition and you can spot book shop stalls on the main streets or squares filled with books and roses of any color. So today if you're lucky, you get roses, or books or both. Just my kind of day!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Holy Schmoly Week
Forget about decorating eggs and egg hunts for Easter. We are in Spain and Easter is not celebrated like this. As a matter of fact, the week before Easter is more important than Easter itself.
Holy Week or "Semana Santa" is a really big deal in Spain. It is so popular that hotels are sold out months or some as much as a year in advance. People that own a balcony from which to view the processions, rent them out in exorbitant amounts. It is an outdoor event, so people take to the streets.
The scene is very difficult to describe. You have to actually experience one. During the week, a series of parades or processions take place. In these processions there is always a band performing a march that adds to the solemn mood in the air. The cities or town's various religious fraternities and brotherhoods "costaleros" carry ornate floats or "pasos" through the "barrios" or neighborhoods, and back to its originating church. These massive platforms are topped with scenes from the life of Jesus. The "nazarenos" who march in front wear a "capirote", a tall conical hood which conceals the face reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.
At the end of the procession, which can last hours, people go out for an "aperitivo" or snack (remember this is Spain!)
Of course there are no Easter baskets full of chocolate covered bunnies and eggs (although some are slowly making their way into the supermarkets), but it seems something more captivating and meaningful takes over the Spanish streets.
Holy Week or "Semana Santa" is a really big deal in Spain. It is so popular that hotels are sold out months or some as much as a year in advance. People that own a balcony from which to view the processions, rent them out in exorbitant amounts. It is an outdoor event, so people take to the streets.
The scene is very difficult to describe. You have to actually experience one. During the week, a series of parades or processions take place. In these processions there is always a band performing a march that adds to the solemn mood in the air. The cities or town's various religious fraternities and brotherhoods "costaleros" carry ornate floats or "pasos" through the "barrios" or neighborhoods, and back to its originating church. These massive platforms are topped with scenes from the life of Jesus. The "nazarenos" who march in front wear a "capirote", a tall conical hood which conceals the face reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.
At the end of the procession, which can last hours, people go out for an "aperitivo" or snack (remember this is Spain!)
Of course there are no Easter baskets full of chocolate covered bunnies and eggs (although some are slowly making their way into the supermarkets), but it seems something more captivating and meaningful takes over the Spanish streets.
Happy Easter!
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