Easter+for+me+-+writing

** Tell us how you live Easter holidays in Hellin **
'I don´t remember my first Holy Week. I was living in Madrid but my parents used to go to Hellín every year. Now I see pics from when I was a baby inside the childcar with my black robe, white scarf and a toy drum.'
 * Alexis Armengol**

'My favourite procession is Maundy Thursday or silence procession because for me it is the most moving and I like seeing when the "Virgen del dolor " is carried on the shoulders by 'costaleros' on their knees, especially when they leave from Capuchinos.'
 * M.Luisa Riquelme**

'My favourite place is The Asunción Church before the start of the different processions, because thrones have a lot of flowers.'
 * Toñi Torres**

'In my family each member has their own drum. My first drum was very heavy and old, it was owned by my father. I did some modifications on it. Now it´s my brother´s drum and he is still changing it. My current drum will probably be my daughter or son´s drum.' media type="file" key="Alex.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * Alexis Armengol**

'In my first Easter my uncle made me a beautiful drum. SoI took it and when I arrived to 'el Rabal' I took it off and I didn´t play it until four or five years ago. Now I don´t usually play it.'
 * M.Luisa Riquelme**

'I don't have a drum. I don´t like playing drums. In my natal town we only have processions with nazarenes and local music bands. We have three thrones.'
 * Toñi Torres**

'Every year I look foward to Easter. To me it is a very special time. The previous month I began to prepare my robe to play the drum and another to carry the throne on my shoulders. Also I have to prepare "LA PEÑA" with my friends.' media type="file" key="chari.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * Chari Rubio**

'My Easter is very interesting (not really). I spend all my days in processions, because I am a member of the music band, and on all the days I have to be in the street playing the clarinet. I spend many hours walking, waiting for, and seeing sculptures. Probably, if someone asked me if I like Easter, I wouldn´t know what to answer. Obiously, I like the music band, but I don´t have too many times to take a breath, go out with my friends and play the drum. However, Easter is a good time, because in only a week you live many experiences and have a good time.'
 * Ana Sánchez**

'My Easter is not very unusual. It starts 15 days before, when I check my drum. Besides, my friends and I start to buy some things for our "peña". I am not a nazarene, so sometimes I watch some processions, especially when nazarenes throw sweet to spectators.' media type="file" key="ricardo.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * Ricardo Fernández**

"The Easter in Hellín is very interesting for me. I love It!! I play the drum in the 'Tamborada', It's great! I like processions too. My favourite day is Holy Wednesday, because everybody play the drum!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfsaa579vIk

Come and see us!
 * Jesús Cabrera**

The Easter here in Hellín is the best religious celebration for me. I joined in one of the Cofradías y Hermandades at the age of six and I am still in it. I know many people really enjoy playing the drum but that isn't my favourite activity in Easter. I prefer processions even though they're long and some of them lasts a lot of time. I am a member of '' [|Hermandad de la Santa Cruz y Virgen de la Amargura]''. This association have got a very nice sculpture. I love it very much! Our tunic is white with golden adornment. We wear a red pointed hood and we carry a walking stick that has an image of our virgin in the top. I'm sure that anyone that visits Hellin's Hollyweek will enjoy very much. I don't know anyone who didn't like it, sincerely.

**Marina Pamies Cantero**

"My Easter is a bit different from the rest of hellineros. I have another point of view because I'm not a spectator or a nazarene. I don't play too much the drum either. However, I walk for many hours during processions playing the transverse flute because I'm one of the members of the municipal band. I like it, but it is sometimes tiring in view of the fact that we have to go in all processions and don't have much time to play the drum or going out with friends. Nevertheless, I admit Easter is a good time, specially for people who enjoy a lot with this kind of acts and wait for this period the whole year. Definitively, it's time to appreciate our culture and take pleasure in the special atmosphere which is created".
 * Alicia Peñafiel**

We like Easter very much. It is very intense and moving! There are Processions and people play drums at different times. We love the procession of Good Friday because although it is Jesus Christ's Burial it is very quiet and moving with special music from the band with barefoot penitents and women with black Mantilla-ed widows. On Easter Sunday morning we celebrate the meeting betwen Jesus Christ and the Virgin with a complete silence. Many pigeons fly and at that moment the drums sound with fervour. You have to live it!!!
 * Mariela Juárez y Julia Piera**

Easter in Hellin is a very famous festival, because processions and drums are together during all week. It's a strange thing when you see it for the first time. Sometimes some friends of mine come to Hellin at Easter and after they love or hate this festival. If you are a quiet person I don't recomend it to you. However If you like messy days, you should come and enjoy here! The Easter in Ontur is a little sad because the people are going to other places. There are three processions and they are very short. The drummers go before the procession and they wear brown robes, only can play the drum from the end of the procession on Wednesday night to the end of the procession on Friday night.
 * Esperanza Bleda**

l love the Easter, and especially playing the drum, but I don´t like the Easter in my village because the brotherhoods want to remove the drums of the processions and there is much jealousy between them. The Easter in Hellin for me is very strange because in my country we don't drink and we don't dance on this date. We consider Easter as a wake. I don't like seeing the people Hellin dancing and drinking at Easter, but I like the processions, especially Palm Sunday and I like drums but not at Easter.
 * Manuel Collado**
 * Irene Vega**

This Easter I was at home becouse my wife worked and I was in home with my daughter. I didn´t see any procession or other religious ceremony, but I didn´t matter because I don´t believe in this. In the past, I remember I played in a music band and I came to Hellin for playing in processions, I sometimes liked it but the processions were very long and we were very tired. Later, I saw this as an obligation and I decided to leave this. Now I do other things at Aaster holidays. Last years, I went to seasites and in here, we didn´t swim on the beach because the weather was bad and we only went for a walk. The Hellin Easter is known around Spain for the sound of its drums. This celebration has been recognized as international interest, but I think it isn't known around the world, because there aren't so many foreign tourists. I like the Easter from here, with a lot of people playing the drum, in or out the processions, and without limit of age..., but I miss the sound of the bass drum, because it betters the rhythm. I'm sorry, but I prefer the Easter from Hijar, because the processions are more ancient and intimate than from here, and especially because there are a lot of gigantic bass drums. On the other hand, I prefer the Easter from Hellin rather than the Easter from Elche de la Sierra. In Elche, the sculptures of the processions are not very good, because the former sculptures were burned in the Spanish Civil War. In the three towns, the people dress up as Nazarenes, with a tunic and a hood, and with different colours. **Manuel Cuadros **   I don't like Easter because I always work on this date. If people have holidays, I will work very hard. I am a clinical diagnostic laboratory techinician but in this moment I work as a massage therapist. At Easter, there are more customers in the health resort. this is 3o kilometres from my hourse and I must drive for forty minutes along a road full of bends. I am not much catholic and if I have free time at Easter, I will travel or go to the beach.
 * Gabriel López**
 * Ana Ochando **