PALM SUNDAY IN SANT JORDI DE SES SALINES

VIA CRUCIS IN SANT JORDI

Es Passos de Setmana Santa (in Ibiza is the way to say Via Crucis) is a tradition that is almost celebrated at all parishes of the island, although the celebration day for the via crucis varies from one parish to another. Most of them do so on the evening of Holy Thursday but there are some exceptions as in the church of Sant Jordi de Ses Salines that celebrates it during the evening of Palm Sunday. 

"Es Passos" in Sant Jordi are among the most beautiful on the island, since the majority of women participating in the procession, dressed in the suit, reminds the old Ibiza and, also with the mantle with which in the past, they went to church or was used for any religious acts.

It is fortunate that this parish manage to keep this lovely tradition and certainly all those involved in this act for a moment revive that old Ibiza that persuaded people who came from outside. It's wonderful that we can still see today these beautiful pictures that give us the churches during Easter but especially those that offer the residents of Sant Jordi.

The via crucis consists of fourteen stations that are developed around the church. Some are marked with a cross. At each stop, participants carrying the two images, they listen a gospel passage from each station, they say a prayer and ends with a song. In Ibiza there are various kinds of songs for "es passos" but the most popular is one that has its origins in Tarragona, and is sung in Sant Jordi; in other parishes are sung some others, that have a more ancient origin and are from the island itself.

The image of Christ crucified is the first to go in the way of these processions, or in some parishes just the one. Always carried by men followed by the women at the back. Another ancient tradition that still exists today in some rural churches of the island, the men sit separately from women.

Behind men, the image of Our Lady of Sorrows which is carried here by women, follow men. These two images are the only two that come in this procession of "Passos" or Way of the Cross in churches on the island.

For those visiting Ibiza this Easter or for residents of other villages on the island, you can see this celebration in Sant Jordi on Palm Sunday afternoon.

The devotion, ritual, customs and tradition come together at Ibiza's churches during Holy Week, also in Sant Jordi with the participation from the parish of San Jorge makes it even more special and colorful.

REFLECTIONS ON THE SALTWORKS

SALTWORKS REFLECTIONS

The Saltworks of Ibiza were the first industry on the island and it seems that the Phoenicians began to exploit themselves there around in 600 BC, later other cultures that inhabited the island temporarily continued with the production. The salary as such we know today were once paid in salt, and that was well knew by Romans who also settled the island and exploded the saltworks as well.

Their square shapes make their ponds retained water usually flat and that the landscape as well as the walls that divide the pond are reflexed, which is that being as they are a very interesting natural landscape also have their more abstract image.

During the sunsets, all is fully reflected, not only the landscape but also the multi-colored sky as the time pass, it changes making this place a very pleasant area. I have to mention too the declaration of Ibiza that the World Heritage Site by UNESCO includes both saline are in Ibiza and Formentera

SAINT GEORGE´S CHURCH - SANT JORDI

PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE (SANT JORDI)

Small but strong, not in vain was one of the few that were built thinking about worship and the protection of the population in the past, where Berber incursions were abundant on the island, a dangerous place to frequent looting and kidnapping of people who were sent to other lands as slaves

Small but strong, not in vain was one of the few that were built thinking about worship and the protection of the population in the past, where Berber incursions were abundant on the island and so it was a dangerous place for living due to frequent looting and kidnapping of people who were sent to other lands as slaves.

But along the Christian faith that built this church is the important work of protecting that some churches performed in the past. Here in this church is quite clear, to see the crenellated roof, which made ​​my delight imaginative picturing small battles between good ones(who were inside trying to defend themselves) and bad ones who were trying by all means go inside the small fortress

The roofs of some of its chapels contrasting with the bright white of the walls which in turn are contrasting with the blue sky, all in a very typical architectural vision in old buildings on the island. These chapels are from the eighteenth century when the church was not anymore a fortress and turned exclusively to worship.

Nowadays, as more peaceful time, this building is dedicated solely to the Christian worship. Its simplicity is its greatest feature like most churches on the island. Its three crosses (indispensable in the field churches) are located very close to the front door protected from strong midday sun by a magnificent and large porch that shelters and shade at the entrance of the temple, where voices echo of the assistants to the church service and after they greet and chat themself for a while.

In the western part this building can be seen in a less pleasant side, since instead of the calm white walls from the other side, so here we are aware of the more hard evidence of the previous stone fortress stage.

Below the image of St. George, a saint almost mythological faces a fierce dragon who kills in order to save a beautiful maiden (hence on the island to the inhabitants of Sant Jordi are known by the nickname of "matacucas" kills bugs ) And is venerated especially in former Soviet or Anglo-Saxon countries (eg the flag of England is simply the cross of St. George) that is repeated in countless flags of countries, including Georgia, Sardinia, and the former republic of Genoa among others, and is present in the coats of many places, including London, Milan, Aragon, Catalonia or Barcelona, Freiburg, Batalha in Portugal, Bologna, Montreal ... and even more places. The Moscow coat of arms bears the image of the saint.