It is that time of the year again: Semana Santa is round the corner and Malaga is abuzz with the preparations for this annual extravaganza. This religious festival is the star attraction for tourists in
The weeklong festivities are characterised by spectacular processions with the statues of Jesus Christ on the Cross-and the Virgin Mary in mourning. The members of the different brotherhoods are dressed in their traditional robes and they solemnly carry the statues in the procession from the different churches in and around Malaga.
Not many tourists know of the interesting fable attached to Semana Santa: The story goes that during the reign of Charles III, the Eater Week celebrations were put on hold due to an outbreak. The prisoners rebelled against this, broke the prison and escape. They then proceeded to carry their statue of heir statue of Jesus Nazareno into the streets on their shoulders. They returned to their cells in the prison after they returned the statue to the temple. When the king heard of this, he started the tradition of releasing a prisoner each year as a mark of the event. The tradition is followed to his day and thus Semana Santa is also known for the freedom that one of the prisoners gets each day.
For all the excitement and activity, this festival also has a great emotional value. Devotion, art, colour and music are the flavours of the week that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. A truly unforgettable and must see experience.