Semana Santa

so I just received this email from our program director with a little background information about Semana Santa and I thought I would share it with you, so you too have a better idea of what I am going to be experiencing next week.

Semana Santa
Holy Week is a religious celebration that takes place during Easter. It starts on Palm
Sunday and ends on the following Sunday, the resurrection day. The last days of Jesus´
life are shown in the streets through parades and colorful floats.
Most days there are seven parades each from a different church that
show different aspects of the savior’s life: for example the last
supper, Jesus´ journey, and his death and resurrection. This is
demonstrated through handmade wooden figures on top of a float.
Underneath there are around forty men carrying the floats. They
are called costaleros and have extreme devotion to the church and
their faith.
The majority of the churches have two floats, one that represents Jesus
and the other one Virgin Mary.
Most likely you will find various parades in the center neighborhoods. If not, all that you
have to do is go to the city center since all the floats pass through the cathedral.
Holy Week is a time to be connected with your beliefs or simply have fun with your
peers. Please dress for the occasion, especially during Palm Sunday, Thursday, and
Friday since these days are the most important. The Sevillanos pay close attention to
what they wear as you should too because inappropriate dress is disrespectful.
Some of the most important churches participate on Friday starting around 2 am
(Thursday night), called the Madrugada. If you decide to go out this evening with your
friends, please keep mind that for many this is the most sacred religious time of the
year. Be respectful with their beliefs and form of devotion.
We hope that you have a wonderful Semana Santa! Enjoy this new experience.