In one of my classes today we were discussing everyone's plans for the week, since we all have off and between a class of 15 will be hitting almost every major city in Europe. I decided to ask my professor after some discussion about the rituals here in Spain during the week of Easter. Most cities have some sort of processional with over 20 men carrying a huge box thing with the statue of Mary and Jesus. They have a walk that runs through cities and towns across the country, as they walk they drag their feet and move in the same motion in sync with one another. (This walk is practiced weeks before the actually procession and I happened to see one in Salamanca this past weekend.) As the procession makes its way through the city silence falls, few people sing aloud old biblical songs repenting for their forgiveness. People dressed in white hooded garments follow the procession and they ask for their forgiveness. In their hooded gowns their are holes cut out on their backs where they whip themselves as they are repenting for their sins. The essentially cut open their backs and bleed as they follow this procession through the town.
It is a bizarre ritual that I know for sure. I have also realized that it is not the American culture that makes us think of the KKK when we see the white gowns, as my professor said almost everyone she knows thinks of the KKK before Semana Santa. Also the ritual is most likely much older than the KKK itself so I guess the white hooded outfit is one that originally started as ritual for the most holy week in Christianity.
This is the base where the statue of Mary and Jesus will be placed on top as they practice the route in Salamanca
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