While we were in Alicante we were fortunate to witness a Semana Santa parade, a religious tradition that takes place during Holy Week all over Spain. The parade in Alicante involved hundreds of people of all ages, and began around 7pm and was still in full swing when we left the centre for our hotel about 1am! The parade consisted of massive religious statues depicting different stages of Jesus' life and death, carried on the shoulders of teams of men and women. Accompanying the weighy floats were "nazarenos" dressed in tunics, conical hoods and masks (these robes intentionally served as the basis for the traditional uniform for members of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States). There were also women dressed in black veils carrying candles.
A brass band, marching band, a drum and bugle band, also accompanied the parade, playing rousing funeral march type music, adding to the solemn atmosphere. It was an amazing and powerful sight to watch, with everyone taking the parade so seriously and with such pride.
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