A ''paso'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

for 'Episode of the Passion of Christ') is an elaborate float made for religious processions. They are carried by porters on staves, like a

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The waste is objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, but ...

sedan chair The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...

, and are usually followed or escorted by a band. Some have long skirts that cover the bearers entirely, giving the impression that the statue is floating on its own power. The porters are called ''costaleros'', ''cargadores'' or ''portadores'' and their leader is called a ''capataz'' ('Foreman' or 'Head Man'). The ''capataz'' sets the ''chicotá'', the period of time between a ''paso'' being lifted and set down again; the ''costaleros'' cannot pick up or set down the ''paso'' except by his leave. This is signalled by the ''llamador'' ('crier'), a knocker on the front of the float. During ''Semana Santa'' ('

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

', the week preceding

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

) the custom is to make ''pasos'' adorned with large wooden statues of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, saints and biblical personalities from the Passion. In Italy smaller carried floats are known as ''macchine a spalla''.Soundscape and the Built Environment Jian Kang, Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp - 2018 - 1482226324. Page 230 ... the intangible cultural heritage has been updated with the inclusion of four Italian folk festivals that belong to the network of "celebration of big shoulder-borne processional structures" (Le Feste delle grandi macchine a spalla) (Nardi, 2013). In the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, the term for shoulder-borne floats and palanquins is ''andas''. Carriages for larger, life-sized icons have wheels and are instead called ''carrozas''. Both types may carry small icons and are borne or pulled by at least two people; they may have lighting fixtures for nighttime or dawn processions, with some having canopies above the image or scene.

References

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Bibliography

Seville's Holy Week Rituals Draw In an Outsider
(New York Times: March 26, 2006) Culture of Spain Catholicism in Spain Catholic Church in Spain Christianity in Portugal

See also

References

Bibliography