Cómpeta was bustling over Easter weekend with visitors from all over Spain and abroad.  The multicultural, multinational atmosphere was electric and the weekend was packed with activities. Whether you are of the Catholic religion or not, the processions, cantes and music of Semana Santa cannot fail to move the most hard hearted atheist even without understanding the deep significance of the most important event in the Spanish calendar.  The most famous processions of the events of Holy Week and Passion Plays followed by the joy of the resurrection take place in Seville and Málaga, but the village of Cómpeta has the atmosphere of Spain and some unique additions to the main events.

 The village has been donated with several statues which are only seen during Semana Santa, and are beautifully maintained. 
Semana Santa starts on Palm Sunday with the image of the Pollinica which was bought from Olot in Gerona by the businesses of the village in 1951.  It has been renovated several times since then, and was the object of the Easter poster this year.  On Easter Wednesday, the procession of the statue of our Father Jésus took place at 22:00, accompanied by the local Cofradias and  local populace.  The statue was first displayed in 1992 and was constructed by artisans of Santa Rufina in  Madrid.
The weather threatened to spoil proceedings, and managed to do so in Málaga and Velez Málaga with torrential downpours.  In Cómpeta, the procession on the Thursday was marred by rain, but the stoic Cómpeteños still managed to get their statues to the church of Our Lady of the Asunción in the Plaza Almijara without getting too wet. 
At 7.30 on Friday morning the villagers of Cómpeta were treated to the deep sonorous singing of the men of the village in the procession of Via Crucis.  It is a marvellous sight to see the men dressed up in their best suits, all singing in unison.   At midnight it was the turn of the women, and again the spectacle was magnificent with the statues being carried by some of the married men of the village. 

As in many villages through Spain, the Passion play was enacted on Good Friday (Viernes Santo). In Cómpeta, the mayor, Jose Luis Torre Gutierrez,  played the part of Christ in an impassioned passion play – the play was initiated by the then priest in 2002.  For the first few years the play took place in the main square, Plaza Almijara, but was moved to the Plaza Vendimia which is ideal with its solitary olive tree and mound which seems tailor made for when Christ goes to pray after the Last Supper. Sur in Spanish reported that the mayor was “whipped and crucified during a very realistic representation of The Passion of Jesús Christ….”  The route to the crucifixion near the football stadium was followed by over 100 villagers, and the very realistic enactment was a moving experience for all.

Also on Good Friday, the Santísima Virgen of the Angustias, the body of Jésus in the arms of his mother, was paraded at 22:00.  The statue was donated to the Cómpeta church by D. Francisco Rojo Navas in 1951.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Competa Arts group (http://www.competaart.com/) held it's first Art Walkabout and from all perspectives, it was a GREAT WEEK END. Over 500 people from all over walking around to view the fascinating variety of works produced by its member artists and craftspeople in their homes, studios, workshops and other venues. The artist and craftsperson's received a warm welcome from all the visitors and the visitors had a great weekend to enjoy Còmpeta, the Semana Santa processions and lot of great art work. As one of the artists put it “We found the experience very stimulating and the visitors were more than complimentary.  All seemed to feel it a very good idea and hoped we [the artists] would do it again. It was a really lovely experience all round.”

With such a fun time, they will surely make this an annual event so watch the web site for information next year.  From the visitors point of view, the maze of the Cómpeta streets and alleyways could be easily negotiated using the well-drawn map and signs, and the wide variety of arts served to show the level of talent which exists in the village.

Sunday dawned as a beautiful day, and many walkers were spotted with their poles and walking boots with the intention of exploring the magnificent natural park of the Sierras Almijara, Tejeda and Alhama behind the village.  The processions started punctually at midday with the local band leading the way.  After a mass which started at 1pm, the statues of the risen Jésus Christ, Magdalena and Our Lady Dolores were paraded slowly round the village. The latter statue has several outings during Holy Week, dressed in different clothes depicting the various stages of the proceedings.  The chanting sent a chill down the spine as the three statues came together in the Plaza Almijara celebrating the risen Christ and was a sight very typical of Spain, with religious fervour reaching its height.  The day of the resurrection was, by the way, advertised as being on the Saturday in Canillas de Albaida – maybe they know something we don´t.….. this caused much consternation amongst the expatriate population and a sleight of hand of whoever designed the posters.

What us north Europeans, especially the English, cannot fail to notice, is the strength of feeling among the Spanish for their religious celebrations, and that whole families are involved, from the great grandparents to the smallest of children.  In England this feeling of solidarity has been lost… but that´s another story.