Semana Santa processions not to miss in the Region of Murcia!

Emotion and devotion in the streets of towns and cities all over Murcia during Easter Week

In just a few days’ time the Region of Murcia will be living and breathing its Semana Santa processions and ceremonies and the streets will be filled with swaying figures of Jesus, Mary and numerous saintly personages as they are borne on the shoulders of dozens of people to the sounds of marching drums and cornets.

The traditions of Easter can appear bizarre to those from outside Spain but this does not mean they cannot be enjoyed – on the contrary, they are an opportunity to join the thousands in the streets and share the atmosphere, which can range from the solemn to the festive!

The Region of Murcia tourist board (ITREM) has compiled a list of experiences to sample during the week leading up to Easter Sunday, taking in all of the pomp, solemnity, colour, noise and joy of the processions on a trip around the Region: take the time to try at least one of these and learn how Holy Week means much, much more than chocolate bunnies and pretty bonnets!

The route starts off on Holy Tuesday (March 26 this year) in Jumilla, where the Procession of Silence has been held on this evening ever since 1845 – this is a true expression of penitence as participants, dressed in black tunics tied with rope, many barefoot, drag chains behind them in a Vía Crucis of austerity. Lights are turned off and the only illumination is provided by the moon and the bonfires in the streets.

If Jumilla is not for you, then another special procession takes place on the same evening in Cartagena, this one executed with military precision. Saint Peter has been on the naval payroll in Cartagena since 1755, and at sundown he is granted permission to leave his barracks for the evening in order to be carried through the streets!

The following evening, the old centre of Cartagena is a sea of red as the Cofradía California holds its “Procesión del Prendimiento”, starting out from the church of Santa María de Gracia.

On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday the spectacular biblical processions of Lorca take centre stage, full of stunning horsemanship and equally dazzling embroidered costumes as the various tableaux represent a series of events from the Old Testament and the Passion.

On the Thursday there is also a chance to experience the Procesión del Cristo de los Pescadores in Cabo de Palos, which has been held since 1969. The participants all dress in the typical yellow waterproofs worn by sailors and fishermen to create a unique atmosphere and although in general there are fewer Semana Santa processions in the Mar Menor area than in other parts of Murcia this is definitely one not to miss!

In the city of Murcia, meanwhile, perhaps the biggest of the processions is the Procesión de los Salzillos on Good Friday, which dates way back to the year 1600. The stars of the show are the sculpted figures created by the great Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz: art and religious devotion combined perfectly!

And on the Friday evening in Cieza the Procesión del Santo Entierro follows the sombre tone of the days between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection in a display of symbolism and emotion in the centre of the city.

Of course, this is just a very small selection of the processions in the Region of Murcia from March 22 to 31 this year – check out the agenda in your local town to find out what to see and when!

Source: ITREM