The clock struck 6:30 p.m. when the first drumbeats began to echo across La Seo Square. It was the signal many had been waiting for throughout the afternoon. Within seconds, mobile phones were raised above the crowd to capture a sight not seen every day: Holy Week floats making their way through Zaragoza in the middle of autumn. Families tried to find a place among the crowds so they would not miss a thing, while young children perched on their parents' shoulders watched wide-eyed as the images slowly advanced through the public. There were also plenty of curious onlookers who, surprised by the sound of the drums, stopped to watch the procession.
The clock struck 6:30 p.m. when the first drumbeats began to echo across La Seo Square. Photo: C.T. / Actualidad Media
The occasion certainly deserved it. Nearly 2,000 young members of religious brotherhoods from across Spain are taking part in this national gathering, held from October 22 to 25, which has turned Zaragoza into the center of brotherhood tradition for four days. They have been joined by hundreds of residents and visitors who did not want to miss this unusual out-of-season Holy Week. As the procession moved along Don Jaime I Street, lit lanterns and candles began to illuminate the floats, while incense filled the air with its distinctive aroma among the spectators. The sound of drumsticks striking the drums blended with the murmur of the crowd and the comings and goings of people looking for the best angle to take a souvenir photograph.
THE 23 FLOATS TAKE OVER THE OLD TOWN AMID DRUMS AND LANTERNS
The procession set off from the Cathedral of the Savior, La Seo, entering an Old Town that for a few hours reclaimed one of its most characteristic scenes. As the floats advanced, eyes turned toward the religious images, the details of the cloaks and the lanterns accompanying the members of the brotherhoods. The sound of the bass drums and drums set the pace for a procession that will continue until approximately 9 p.m., leaving behind the aroma of incense and numerous mobile phones trying to capture every moment.
The extraordinary procession continued along Don Jaime I Street. Photo: E.F / Actualidad Media
This is no ordinary procession. The parade follows a structure similar to that of the Good Friday Holy Burial and brings together 23 floats that chronologically recount the Passion of Christ, from Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection. The Agony in the Garden, the Kiss of Judas, Jesus Bound to the Column, the Crowning with Thorns, Jesus the Nazarene, the Descent from the Cross and Our Lady of Solitude are among the images on display during an afternoon in which Zaragoza's brotherhoods once again bring much of their processional heritage into the streets.
After leaving La Seo Square and Don Jaime I Street behind, the procession continued along Espoz y Mina, Alfonso I, Fuenclara, San Felipe Square and Torrenueva, before reaching César Augusto Avenue. From there, it continued along Buen Pastor, Manifestación and Murallas before entering Pilar Square and finally returning to La Seo, where it is expected to conclude at around 9 p.m.
Among the protagonists of the day are the 220 young people who make up the JOHC Group, arriving from different brotherhoods to play drums, bass drums and timpani together. They are joined by the Honor Guard of the Coordinating Board of Zaragoza Brotherhoods and the General Pregón Group, as well as the sounds of rattles and wooden clappers. Banners, standards, candles and lanterns complete a procession that has succeeded in bringing the atmosphere of spring to the heart of Zaragoza's autumn for a few hours.
A WEEKEND OF BROTHERHOOD TRADITION THAT WILL END THIS SUNDAY
This Saturday's procession is the main highlight of the 13th National Gathering of Young Members of Brotherhoods and Confraternities, an event Zaragoza is hosting for the first time under the motto "Faith, an immortal pillar." Over four days, young people from different parts of Spain are discovering a Holy Week tradition with more than 700 years of history, 25 brotherhoods, confraternities and congregations, more than 16,000 members and 53 processions.
This Saturday's procession is the main highlight of the 13th National Gathering of Young Members of Brotherhoods and Confraternities. Photo: E.F / Actualidad Media
The brotherhood atmosphere began to make itself felt in the city on Thursday, October 22, with a prayer vigil at the Church of Saint Isabel of Portugal, known as San Cayetano, and a procession of Saint John the Evangelist to the Basilica of the Pillar. On Friday, activities continued with the opening of the Ad Salvatorem exhibition at La Seo and a floral offering to Our Lady of the Pillar. That evening, Pilar Square hosted the event's opening ceremony, where jotas, a historical reenactment and the Rosary of Glass showcased some of the Aragonese capital's most representative traditions.
This Saturday's program also began long before the procession's first drums sounded. Participants gathered in the morning at the Patio de la Infanta of Fundación Ibercaja for an opening prayer, before attending a presentation on the future of the brotherhoods and a workshop devoted to traditional Holy Week instruments in the Colegio Compañía de María.
After four days of activities, the gathering will conclude this Sunday, October 25, with a Eucharist at 11 a.m. at the Basilica of the Pillar. At noon, Saint John the Evangelist will begin the journey back to San Cayetano, and half an hour later the conclusions of the event and the city that will host the next edition will be announced. Until then, Zaragoza continues to enjoy a celebration that has achieved something unusual: Holy Week drums are being heard again while echoes of the Fiestas del Pilar still linger.
