On Palm Sunday, everyone
throughout the country has palm branches from Elche, an old town where
the only palm grove in Europe grows. After carrying the branches in
processions through the streets and into the churches and cathedrals,
people hang them on the balconies of their houses, where they remain
until the fresh palm branches of the next year replace them.

The most colorful celebration of Holy Week is held in Seville, a city in
sunny Andalusia. Every night there are processions of robed and hooded
men moving silently through streets lined with thousands of men, women
and children. All the figures of saints and Madonnas from all the
churches and the Cathedral are carried in one procession or another. The
figures are dressed in costly vestments and jewels, and the procession
is lighted by flickering torches and candles. As the figures pass
beneath balconies crowded with watchers, a singer will suddenly break
into a spontaneous, unaccompanied song, called a "saeta," to salute the
saint being carried by. The saeta is the same sort of song the Moors
used to sing when they lived in Seville and other cities in Andalusia,
and today it is usually sung by gypsies, thousands of whom live here.

Night after night these processions go on, until Good Friday, when the
most gorgeous one of all starts at 3 o'clock in the morning. This is the
procession of the Virgin of Macarena, the patron saint of bullfighters
and all Seville. The Virgin is dressed up in robes of silver and gold
and wears jewels given by famous bullfighters and wealthy people. The
men who march in this procession wear costumes of rich red and gold, and
there is an honor guard dressed like ancient Roman centurions. The
"Macarena" is the most popular saint in Seville, and everyone watches
her procession until it takes her back to her shrine in the gypsy
section, Triana, followed by thousands of gaily clad gypsies who spend
the rest of the night singing and dancing to the throbbing of guitars.

Shortly after Holy Week, Seville has another gay festival, this time
called a "feria," which is rather like a big country fair. For two weeks
everybody celebrates all day and all night, singing and dancing and
visiting friends for a glass of wine. Every day there is a bullfight,
and at night there are concerts, dance and art shows, and plays. The
huge fair grounds blaze with light, and ferris wheels and
merry-go-rounds spin gaily round and round.

Once upon a time, the fe