Here's the scoop.
The men in the parades (processions) with the tall hats are called Nazarenos, as in Jesus of Nazareth. They wear a robe, a tall conical hat with a face mask. They look a lot like the KKK because the KKK stole the costume from Spain. (My statues of Nazarenos have offended more than one of my American friends.) The reason behind the hat and face mask (antifaz) is that you are doing penance for you sins. Penance done for public recognition carriers no value since you got your glory from everyone telling you what a good guy you are.

The ones who carry crosses are called penitentes. Up until, I think the 30s or 40s you could also drag long chains from your ankles and other forms of mortification of the flesh.

The guys who carry the floats (pasos) are called costaleros. Yes, they carry them on their backs for hours and hours. You can also see some of the scurry out for a beer whenever the procession stops briefly to let another procession pass.

All processions must pass down Calle Sierpes but it is a hideously crowded place to see the processions from. Instead get a guide from the city tourist office or from the newspaper and an excellent city map. The guide will tell you when each procession will pass certain well-known points in the city. So, use the guide and the map and figure out some other places to watch each procession. The order of the processions is very controlled and predictable. Each procession must pass Calle Sierpes, enter the cathedral for a blessing and then return to its home church.

The statues of Christ and the Virgin that they carry are actually owned by the (religious fraternities (cofradías) and loaned to the churches. Most parishes have a cofradia. The men of the parish carry the floats are called "penitentes." Many of the bands that march along are professionals hired by each parish. The women of the parish loan their jewlery to decorate the statues of the Virgin.

The most important moments are to see a float leaving or returning to its own church or entering or leaving the cathedral.

Watch the crowds. They can be smothering. People often walk in front of a float walking backwards. The movement of the float as it is carried and "danced" can cause a type of religious trance. We saw a woman doing so who nearly got crushed as the procession turned a corner. We reached over the barrier and pulled her into the crowd or I am certain she would have gotten hurt.

I like Semana Santa in some of the small cities like Cadiz, Jerez and El Puerto. The crowds are less oppressive and the feeling much the same.

In Seville, at least back in '95, women cannot participate in the processions. In smaller towns and other cities they are allowed to. My Spanish friend, Mari, carries a cross on her back each year for something like 6 hours. Other towns and cities have processions of just children. Very typical of kids is to see them using the crosses to bop each other--piety and mischieve all mixed up.

Oh, I was in Seville for Holy Week in '95 and it was nice weather. A light sweater was fine. The Sevillanos really dress up, hair, makeup, the whole shabang. Young women who have a boyfriend (novio) but are not yet married dress in black and wear a mantilla on Holy Thursday. It is called dressing in luto (mourning) and is very elegant and stunning.

As for this whole "My virgin is better than your virgin" thing that goes on between parishes (especially between Macarena & La Esperanza de Triana) is something that escapes me, entirely escapes me. Watch out--when two processions get near each other, especially those with a history of conflict with the other parish can get quite heated, never violent but loud and crushing. Some say it goes back to the cult of virgins that pre-date Christianity in Spain.

Many of the churches are open for you to visit and to see the floats (pasos) up close. Don't miss it. If you speak Spanish there is usually a trained member of the parish who can explain the history of each statue, the sculptor. I went on such a tour with the art professor at my school. It was wonderful!

My favorite T-shirt from Spain says "Aleluia estoy en la bulla. ("Hallelujah I am in the crowd.") It is covered with little drawings of Nazarenos, pasos, spectators and acurately depicts the noisy, exciting, overwhelming experience of being there.

Que tengan ustedes una semana santa llena de bendigos,
Donna

Hi Espanglish. That's quite a gripping description! Greatly enjoyed it. Plume

Donna (Espanglish) writes: One of us has our years confused: It was 95 Degrees farenheit (35 Celsius) el viernes de Semana Santa, April 5, 1995. We were at el Portal de la Macarena around noon waiting for the Procession to return - it had gotten a late start because there were rain showers Thursday night. It was very hot and very crowded.

Hmmm....Eddie you could cery well be correct. I do know that the weather was quite warm at the beginning of the week as we used the air conditioning in our hotel--Hotel Becquer on calle Reyes Catolicos--quite nice. (I was living and studying abroad and my husband and I were doing a really long-distance commuter marriage. I was boarding with a widow and her two teenage daughters. We took a hotel when my husband came to visit.)

And I know that on Good Friday and Holy Saturday we ate outside at the terrazos on Calle Betis in the Triana area. So, it could be that it was really hot. Having lived in southern Spain for quite awhile, I don't tend to notice the weather until it is over 100 F.

However, I know I have pictures of me on Holy Thursday (the night before you mention) and I am wearing a short skirt, short sleeved shirt and light sweater. I do remember the light rain that year and that quite a few processions weren't able to go (because of possible damage to the statues and floats). I am pretty certain that one which didn't go was one of the most famous-- El Estudiente from the University of Seville. I was particularly interested in that one because friends from the university were penitentes in that cofradía.

Neat to know that we were there at the same time. Lucky you being retired. My last day at work (in about 12 years) is the same day we will be moving back to Spain.

Here is a link to a site that explains in English all the stages/particpants in a procession:

Sol.com

There used to be a great Spanish site (at least to my obsessive-compulive mind) that listed each brotherhood, its history, color of garments and tons of details. I thought I had it bookmarked. If I can find it, I will post it again.

Other important processions to see are El Silencio, Jesus del Gran Poder and of course, La Macarena & La Esperanza de Triana as already mentioned. Some processions are loud and boisterous and the crowd shouts out compliments to the Virgin and others process in silence and are very moving.

Donna