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A wonderful article. Just on the Ganesh on Ceuta bit...it would have been a wonderful story except for what happened afterwards..where the large hearted Catholic church pastor who allowed the Ganesh procession inside the church was deeply reprimanded by the Catholic church superior powers to be. The insularity of Abrahamic faiths is rarely much below the surface..

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I have actually noted that in the footnote

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founding

What a wonderful piece ! Enjoyed it hugely … and yes the saeta reminded me of the Manganyar folk singers of Rajasthan plus a hint of the Islamic azaan

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You hit the nail on the head... the saeta is most reminiscent of the Manganyars. Thanks for pointing that out.

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This is so cool! What brought you to the little town of Zafra? I live in Badajoz as a foreign exchange student, and I’ve been to Zafra only because my host dad is from Zafra. Your writing really took me through your Semana Santa experience; I can completely resonate with my experience in Badajoz!

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My younger son is a chess enthusiast and Zafra is the birthplace of Ruy Lopez.

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Wonderful read. Great to know that there is much more to Easter than the Easter egg. Your writing described the fervour and emotion very well. Easter was not reduced to a ritual

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Thank you!

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