Semana Santa (or Holy Week) is the Spanish name for Easter. It dates back to the 16th century when the Church decided to present the story of the Passion of Christ in a way that the layperson could understand. It was decided that the best way to do this would be a series of processions through the streets, depicting scenes from the story of the fall and rise again of Jesus Christ. The festivities begin with the Palm Sunday and end with Easter Monday. It is a celebration of life itself and the whole country comes alive. On Easter Sunday, rag and straw dolls representing famous people are placed at different points in the streets of the village. These are finally torn a part and the piece thrown up to the air. In Major cities such as Malaga, the processions go on for miles and will last until the early hours of the mornbing, every night through the Easter Week.
