Palm Sunday Procession Starts the Holy Week
Blessings, hoods, cloaks, olive branches and plenty of Easter buns!
With Spring barely with us it feels very early for Easter and the dramatic processions and commemorations that it brings.
Yesterday, the island of Mallorca celebrated Diumenge des Ram, Palm Sunday. With a traditional morning mass where church goers are handed blessed olive branches and dried palm leaves, and a wonderful evening procession where all the Confrarias, or brotherhoods, come to parade through the streets with their hooded cloaks and flags.
La Mare de Deu del Carme brotherhood of Pòrtol opened the procession of Holy Week re-enacting the various steps the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The streets in Palma were bustling with visitors, the faithful and tourists, with music, drums and horns as the procession passed through the golden mile of the city. Although not a very long journey, from Sant Jaume to reach the convent of the Conception, it took nearly ninety minutes for the procession to enter the convent grounds.
With the Holy Week being heralded in in such fine fashion we can look forward to Maundy Thursday, the last day of lent and the largest of the Easter processions with the Processo de la Sang. Expect hundreds to take to the streets in fantastic hooded costumes and thousands of spectators and faithful to be there to take part in the festivities.
And then Good Friday where the Robiols (sweet pies), Panades (savoury pastries), Crespells (biscuits) and Coques de Patata (Easter buns) will be prepared for people to enjoy over the festive weekend.
So if you are in Mallorca this week, make sure that you don't miss out on the celebrations which really are rich in traditional and incredible to experience. Plus you have to sample the delicious Mallorquin pastries at the end of lent!
