They keep swapping Easter around. This year it will be late, just in time for the last real rainfall of the year. Last year it was early and it rained then too. As they say here, 'En abril aguas mil' ( In April lots of rain). Why do they keep moving it? It's two weeks later this year.
Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon, or next after, the 21st. day of March; if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday after. OK so far?
The moon referred to is not the real moon of the heavens, but a hypothetical moon on whose 'full' the date of Easter depends. The day of full moon depends on certain tables.....given in the early pages of the Book of Common Prayer. Got it?
Whittaker's Almanack
It's a week later in Greece every year.
Easter Sunday (Easter Day/ Domingo de la Resurrección) is 'the most important festival for all Catholics ' but in Álora and all of Andalucía we give it a whole week (Semana Santa) and by Viernes Santo (Good Friday) it's all over bar the shouting.
It really kicks off a lot earlier than this. In Álora all the hermandads and cofradias have been presenting their cartels (posters) with a big ceremony and now they are all round town in shop windows and bars.
Other signs of Easter are the sound of drums and bugles and all the painting of houses which is going on, especially houses which are on the routes of the processions.......which reminds me, I now have the full set of pictures of number 5 Calle Benito Suarez showing the dramatic changes to its facade during the last year. Regular readers of this organ will remember that the owner was ordered by the ayuntamiento (town hall) to repaint his house white , a colour which is considered 'more appropriate' than red. When he dragged his feet, they sent down the painters and did it for him and sent him the bill. He is not very happy about it. The house looks over the Plaza Baja, the venue for the Good Friday 'Despedía' ceremony which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
March 2013
March 2014
Now you see it, now you don't, now you see it again .
Also, coincidentally, a new bar has opened in the Plaza Baja, Bar La Plaza. It used to be Bar Anka Feo and before that Oscar's Bar and before that 'the bar of the man who hanged himself. I hope it does very well during Semana Santa and that it stays open for at least few weeks afterwards. We'll see.
In the spirit of Holy Week a family who were squatting in an empty house on Calle Ancha received their notice of eviction this morning. That's on a procession route too.
On a much more positive note, Joseli, who looks after the castle tells me he has counted 30 cernícalos (kestrels) nesting up there this year. I counted 15 in flight but they do make themselves difficult to count by flying around all the time.
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