What are the costumes in Semana Santa?

The people dressed in costumes are called Nazarenos or penitentes – the penitent ones. They are members of the various brotherhoods that participate in the processions. They are traditionally dressed in capirote, which is a Catholic, cone-shaped pointed hat made out of silky material.

What are the symbols of Semana Santa?

The symbols of the Spanish Semana Santa (Easter week)

  • Hoods: The processions in which people walk the streets wearing high conical hats are world famous.
  • Altar candles “Cirios”: Cirios are enormous candles, often adorned with emblems of a congregation that are seen in churches.

What do the Semana Santa processions represent?

Wikipedia says that – Holy Week in Spain is the annual tribute to the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradía) and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before …

Why do they wear robes in Semana Santa?

As for why the costumes are used in Semana Santa celebrations, the origins remain a mystery but the purpose is simple – their faces are covered in mourning, and also as a sign of shame for the sins they have committed throughout the year.

What color do you wear during Holy Week?

Red or purple are appropriate for Palm Sunday. During Holy Week, purple is used until the church is stripped bare on Maundy Thursday; the church remains stripped bare on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, though in some places black might be used on those days.

What does a capirote represent?

Historically, the capirote was intended as a mark of humiliation and was worn by those publicly punished by Church officials for doctrinal violations. In time, the cap was adopted by Catholic brotherhoods as a voluntary guise for their flagellants (those flogging themselves as penance for their sins).

Why is Semana Santa so important?

Semana Santa as it’s celebrated today was born in the 16th century. It was the idea of the Catholic Church, as a way of explaining the story of the Passion of Christ to non-religious folk. Throughout the week, parts of the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are told through different processions.

What is a unique Semana Santa tradition in Mexico?

Different regions of Mexico are known for practicing unique traditions during Semana Santa such as acts of physical torture, public displays of political/social ridicule, and displays of resolutions and commitment.

What are the colors of the robes used in the processions?

While we don’t know for sure, their first use in processions could date from 17th-century Seville. The color of the robes depends on the brotherhood, which is why there are purple, red and white ones. The Ku Klux Klan was born centuries after the first use of these hoods in Spain.

What does pink symbolize in Holy Week?

Pink. This special color that represents joy and love is only worn two times a year in the church: on the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent.

What is the origin of the capirote?

The origin of the capirotes or capuchón is in the Holy Inquisition. People who were sentenced by the Court of the Inquisition were punished with the imposition of this cardboard cone. In addition, on the capirote they were put a cloth garment that covered their chest and back. This garment was called sambenito.