The Procession of Jesus of Hope

I left you yesterday with a cliffhanger.  It rained and snowed most of the day, threatening the five processions scheduled for Passion Saturday (sábado de pasión.)  However, at about 4:00 p.m. the sun came out, and everything was dry by 6:00 p.m., the beginning of the Procession of Jesus of Hope  (Procesión de Jesús de la Esperanza.) This is the procession I chose to attend on Saturday.  I was told it was a rather small procession, but judging from the hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators, I'm not convinced.

As I write this, it is Palm Sunday and I'm not going to spend a lot of time writing today.  Instead, I will share photographs from last night's procession.  I hope you get a feel for the sights and sounds of the event.

"Sounds?" you ask. You're sharing photographs.

Yes, but I thought I'd also throw in a short video clip.  Along with the photographs, it might give you a better understanding of some of the things I mention. Don't worry, it's less than a minute.  (You can click on the little square on the bottom right of the screen to get a full screen view.  Hit the "esc" key to return to normal.)

The procession moves through the Plaza of the Chrurch of San Isidoro.  Many believe that the actual Holy Grail resides inside the church's museum.

This paso is relatively new. It was created in 2012, proving that the centuries-old tradition of creating objects of devotion continues.  You can click on photos in the blog for a closer view.  To return to a normal view, click the "escape" or "esc" key.

Hooded penitents, known as papones, carry another of the pasos.  This paso is from the late 20th centruy.  Several of the penitents walk barefoot to demonstrate their devotion.

A closer view.

Music is an important part of most processions.

A boy carries incense

Women and children have been participating in most of the processions for decades.

Processions last several hours and can take their toll on both young and old.

Children pass out candy along the route.

This paso showing the Virgin Mary holding her crucified son dates from the sixteenth century.

Detail from the 16th century sculpture.

I estimate that tens of thousands of spectators viewed this procession.

I will continue reporting on Holy Week in León as the week progresses.

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