If
you have never experienced Holy Week (Easter) in Spain, you may find it
difficult to imagine the passion, pleasure and fervour with each the
people throw themselves into the festivities. The reasons for this are
often no longer religious, but rather a question of tradition, as the
region around Girona welcome age-old celebrations and, over the
generations, these have lost none of their liveliness.
The 'Verges Dance of Death' is the best known allegorical image at the end of Easter Week, this year on the 9th. It's acknowledged to be the only European medieval dance of death to have survived through to modern times, featuring skeletons parading silently along the streets, symbolises the transience of life and reminds us that death forgets no one. The ceremony always remains the same: to the rhythmic beating of a drum, five skeletons perform a simple, but majestic dance. They are followed by more of their kind, but cloaked in tunics and bearing burning torches in their hands, which illuminates the impressive scene. The grandeur and uniqueness of this tradition explain the decision to present the Verges Dance of Death as Catalonia's cultural contribution last year in Mexico, at the Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato.
In Girona, in Banyoles and Amer too, the skeletons are replaced by other symbolic figures: the 'Manaies' (armed soldiers). According to tradition, they represent the soldiers of Pontius Pilate, who guarded the the Holy Sepulchre following the crucifixion of Jesus. The alleys of the old town of Girona are the main venue for solemn processions, whose high point comes on Good Friday with that commemorating the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. The Maundy Thursday processions are held everywhere in the province of Girona.
Another important aspect of Holy Week is it's gastronomic customs. Traditionally, on Easter Sunday throughout Catalonia, godparents give their godchildren 'Mona de Pascua', a form of sponge cake decorated with spectacular chocolate figures, and a filled puff pastry 'wreath'. During Lent, a popular dish for many centuries have been 'Bunyols', a type of doughnut, which is baked (can also be deep fried) in every household starting from Ash Wednesday.
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