Spain begins Holy Week with processions, palm branches and familiar faces

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Actor Antonio Banderas joined the crowds in dozens of Palm Sunday processions, marking the official start of Holy Week in Spain, a country with a fervent Catholic tradition.

After singing a hymn inside the church of Saint John, Banderas, dressed in a traditional penitent’s robe in bright beige with dark green detailing, gave the order to set in motion the float on which the bearers carry the Virgin of his brotherhood, Tears and Favors.

Known for his long film career in Spain and Hollywood, Banderas has been participating in the procession in Malaga, his hometown in southern Spain, for more than 20 years.

“I always see the traditions of my homeland, our identity, and the way we experience our celebrations, and I’m delighted to be here,” Banderas, 65, told reporters. “For me, Holy Week is a time of tears and favors that bring about very beautiful things”.

His brotherhood is one of nine that will parade through the narrow streets of the old town for several hours on a sunny Sunday, lasting until nightfall.

Palm Sunday, the first major day of the Holy Week, marks Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem days before his crucifixion, which Christians commemorate on Good Friday, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

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Andalusian cities of Seville and Malaga host some of the most popular and lavish processions, featuring elaborately decorated floats and hundreds of penitents, but religious events of all kinds take place throughout Spain.

In Cabra, a small town in the nearby mountains of Cordoba, in addition to the faithful who march carrying traditional palm branches, 12 of them portrayed Jesus’ apostles wearing masks bearing their likenesses.

Over the next week, thousands of penitents will carry and accompany the antique and venerated images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary in their massive floats, while hundreds of thousands of residents and tourists fill the streets to watch them march, singing hymns, showering them with flowers, or observing a solemn silence.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.