The cultural experience of this week was amazing. Corpus Christi, the biggest holiday in Spain, was this past week. It was exciting to be in the crowd and feel like a true Spaniard. On Wednesday we went to the opening procession of Corpus Christi. There were people dressed as giant saints of Granada. There were also life-sized versions of bobble heads that hit people on the head with dried livers/kidneys. It was very weird to us but it is a Spanish tradition. The main feature of this procession was a mannequin riding a dragon. The mannequin on top is dressed in the 'it' fashion of gGranada for the next year. That night we all went to a flamenco show in a cave. The dancing is such an art and requires a ton of footwork. It was spectacular to see how amazing these performers were. On Thursday morning we all watched the Corpus Christi parade. It began with the same procession as the day before and then continued on. Everyone in the parade was holding a candle. More than half of the parade was children who had their first communion in the last year. It was then followed by all of the priests and Bishop’s in Granada, and then the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the main attraction of the holiday. It was on top of a beautiful, man-carried, gold ‘float’.
All around Granada, and other towns, people create scenes from the Eucharist. They consist of many religious items such as bibles, hymns, statues of saints, candles, and the Eucharist in the center. Each depiction is very different and unique. Different storefronts all over town displayed their own versions of it for the entire week of Corpus Christi. Also going on the whole week was a giant carnival. It was unlike anything I have seen back home. Music played throughout the entire fairgrounds, clubs and restaurants were everywhere, and there were carnival rides for all ages. The only ride I went on was the ferris wheel so I could see the entire fair from the sky. The multitude of colorful lights was beautiful from up above. This past week was one of the most influential cultural experiences so far. The joy, excitement, and community atmosphere made me fall even more in love with this beautiful city.
On Thursday night I went to a bullfight. It was a lot more gruesome than I thought it would be, but it was amazing. I had no idea the bullfighter has his entire routine planned out ahead of time. He then follows it as best as he can depending on the bull’s reaction. They then get judged on their performance and are given points for each move they make. It was a particularly exciting performance as it was the last fight ever for one of the torero’s (bullfighter), so of course, he won the flight. It was a very exciting tradition to watch. I really enjoyed it and could see myself attending another, if or when, I return to Spain.
