20th March 2008 - Holy Thursday

On the night of Holy Thursday Christ was praying in the gardens of Gethsemany, before being captured by the soldiers. Today, all churches will have "exposition of monuments" - Christs body and blood, represented by grapes and bread will be exhibited on the altars. It is a ritual for devout Catholics to visit the monuments and contemplate. At midnight, all lights in the churches will go out and curtains will drop over the altars until Sunday, as a sign of mourning for Christ's death.

This day will have quite a mood swing. First, from early morning, the streets will be lively with anticipation of the festivities, as the Catholics go round visiting the monuments in the churches. There will be a lot of socializing, followed by Act of Prophecy - a lively parade of all brotherhoods announcing the coming events. The mood is joyful and energetic, it is one of the characteristics of Semana Santa in Valencia.

Later, the mood will change dramatically. Around midnight, tragic Processions of Silence will take place, mourning Christ's capture. The air is tense with emotion and even non-believers will be touched.