The New Exchange

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



3/29/2015 12:09 pm  #1


Holy Week

Holy Week is upon us, though it still feels like winter here in Massachusetts.

All through Spain and southern Italy there will be magnificent parades.
Here are some shots from last year in Granada.












We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

3/29/2015 6:13 pm  #2


Re: Holy Week

So what about that Order which is wearing what could almost pass for KKK uniforms?


Life is an Orthros.
 

3/29/2015 6:53 pm  #3


Re: Holy Week

Tarnation wrote:

So what about that Order which is wearing what could almost pass for KKK uniforms?

It is really shocking for an American to view.
But, they are called "penitents", and there is no link.

I'm not sure what the significance of hiding their identities is,

As Wikipedia says,,,,
A common feature in Spain is the almost general usage of the nazareno or penitential robe for some of the participants in the processions. This garment consists in a tunic, a hood with conical tip (capirote) used to conceal the face of the wearer, and sometimes a cloak. The exact colors and forms of these robes depend on the particular procession. The robes were widely used in the medieval period for penitents, who could demonstrate their penance while still masking their identity. These nazarenos carry processional candles or rough-hewn wooden crosses, may walk the city streets barefoot, and, in some places may carry shackles and chains on their feet as penance. In some areas, sections of the participants wear dress freely inspired by the uniforms of the Roman Legion.


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
     Thread Starter
 

3/31/2015 11:29 am  #4


Re: Holy Week

Neat pictures - thanks for sharing. I wonder how others celebrate Holy week here in the U.S. or York, PA. When I attended the Moravian Church in York we had church every night of the week and read from a small booklet called the Passion Week Manual. Each night we would read the scriptures that pertained to that particular day of Holy Week in the life of Christ. Of course the highlight of the week was the Communion Service "Maundy Thursday". Good Friday Services followed at 2:00 pm on Friday. In those days if you worked downtown and wanted to attend a Good Friday service, all employers would allow you to take off an hour or so, to attend the services. I remember the service as a kind of sad service. The service was scheduled to coincide with the time of day when Jesus died on the cross. At approximately 3:00 pm the custodian of the church tolled the old church bell 33 times symbolizing the 33 years of Jesus's life.

Saturday night the Boy Scouts camped in the church and got up at about 4:00 am Easter Sunday morning and went out to the Prospect Hill Cemetery long before daylight to direct traffic to the old Moravian burial plots where an Easter Dawn Graveside service was held. I remember the first time I did this I was in sixth grade and I was stationed at one of the crossroads in the cemetery all alone -- I was frightened and sang "Jesus Loves Me" quite a few times. At the conclusion of the service, everyone returned to the church for a wonderful Easter breakfast. The Easter Sunday service was very special. Holy week ended on Easter Sunday night with a special service. The youth of the church would do an Easter Pageant with special music, realistic scenery and wonderful costumes.

I am also old enough to remember that everyone no matter how poor, tried to get a new Easter outfit. Girls would buy a new dress and shoes and guys would try to get a new suit or sportcoat. 

Does anyone else have Holy Week memories?

 

3/31/2015 8:13 pm  #5


Re: Holy Week

My childhood Holy Week memories aren't nearly so rich, because I grew up in a Methodist church without special music and without much liturgy.

There was a wealthy Doctor's wife in the congregation who had some huge potted palms in her house.  She lent them to the church for Palm Sunday and Easter, so on Palm Sunday we sat and looked at Mrs. Brown's potted palms.  Oftentimes the choir had a Cantata on Palm Sunday, so we sat and listened to the Cantata while we looked at Mrs. Brown's potted palms.

The only service during the week was the Maundy Thursday Communion service....one of four times that Communion was available each year.  The other times were the first Sundays of January and July and the first Sunday in October.   It started late:  7:30, if I recall correctly, and as a school ager I was usually very sleepy by the end of the service, especially if we'd had school that day.

Back then the York City Schools had a nice Easter break.  Good Friday and the Monday after Easter were guarenteed holidays, irrespective of the winter.  Maundy Thursday and the Tuesday after Easter were snow make-up days.  Some years we had off, others we didn't.

The Methodist pastor didn't like doing a Sunrise Service so he had the youth take charge.  My folks didn't much care for that so we never went.

Now I am Orthodox, and Holy Week requires a bit of explaining most years, including this year, becaues we follow the Julian calendar for Easter.   Meaning that this year our Holy Week begins* when the rest of Christendom is celebrating Easter.   Next year we will be five weeks off.  But the year after that we will be togeter.

*Actually, our Holy Week really begins on the Friday evening before Palm Sunday with the Lazarus Canon, and continues through the day after Pascha (Easter) which we call "Bright Monday".  There is at least one--some times two, and one day (Good Friday) three--services each day.   Altogether 16 services in 11 days.

Last edited by Tarnation (3/31/2015 8:15 pm)


Life is an Orthros.
 

3/31/2015 11:18 pm  #6


Re: Holy Week

Thanks for sharing Tarnation. i appreciate hearing how others observe the most important week in Christiandom.
 

 

4/01/2015 8:00 am  #7


Re: Holy Week

Does anyone remember a syndicated Radio Drama program that aired during Holy Week on a number of radio stations? I think it was called "The Greatest Week In History". It was a faux news program that attempted to make you feel like you were listening to actual news broadcasts and radio news reporters from the Jerusalem Broadcasting Corporation reporting on the events surrounding Jesus and the Jerusalem area from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Each day during Holy Week different newscasts were aired dealing with the events that happened on that particular day of Holy Week. The show only lasted about 5 - 10 minutes but was quite interesting. I do not know if it is still aired or not, but I don't ever hear it anymore. 

 

4/01/2015 3:16 pm  #8


Re: Holy Week

JimmyBear wrote:

Does anyone remember a syndicated Radio Drama program that aired during Holy Week on a number of radio stations? I think it was called "The Greatest Week In History". It was a faux news program that attempted to make you feel like you were listening to actual news broadcasts and radio news reporters from the Jerusalem Broadcasting Corporation reporting on the events surrounding Jesus and the Jerusalem area from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Each day during Holy Week different newscasts were aired dealing with the events that happened on that particular day of Holy Week. The show only lasted about 5 - 10 minutes but was quite interesting. I do not know if it is still aired or not, but I don't ever hear it anymore. 

I vaguely remember that, Jimmy. But it is a very distant, incomplete memory. I'm thinking maybe 40 + years ago.
 


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
     Thread Starter
 

4/01/2015 8:57 pm  #9


Re: Holy Week

All of the transcripts of "The Greatest Week in History" can be found from this index page:

http://www.thirdway.com/rad/?Page=4215|Intro

Reading some of the transcripts, I know that I had heard snippets of them live when they first aired fifty years ago.

Last edited by Tarnation (4/01/2015 9:07 pm)


Life is an Orthros.
 

4/02/2015 9:42 am  #10


Re: Holy Week

Thanks for the link, Tarnation. I wish they would still air those episodes.

 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum