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| Nazarenes in Plaza de la Constitution |
Which one's the da?
The answer, of course, is all of them. Semana Santa or Holy Week is the biggest religious festival in Spain, nay, the world. The various confraternities dress up in the fashion borrowed by the Ku Klux Clan and parade around the town holding aloft huge statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. It goes on all week, day and night. Old ladies dressed in black with mantillas to hide their faces, sing gypsy ballads and dance for God. It is truly, a marvellous spectacle, but not one appreciated by the da. He refused to be photographed next to the "racist throng" (his words) which I found ironic given his proclivity for sectarianism and bigotry.
In a gesture of Christian charity, he has insisted on buying a miniature statue of a Nazarene which will end up on the mantelpiece next to the "Child of Prague". He thinks these are lucky totems, allowing him a long healthy life full of joy. I wish for the same thing, but for me. Although a committed atheist, I am contemplating joining a monastery - preferably where they have taken a vow of silence. My tinnitus is getting no relief!
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