One of the most iconic moments of the Holy Week in the town of Alfarrassí (Central Valencian Country) is the angelet de la corda ("little angel on the string"), which happens during the Easter Sunday procession.
Video from A Punt.
The tradition consists on a child aged 3 or 4 years old, chosen randomly among all the kids in the town, who is dressed as an angel and suspended on a string above the town's main square when the procession arrives. The angel reaches for the statue of Virgin Mary and removes her black veil (symbol of mourning), symbolizing that She receives the news that her son Jesus Christ has come back to life.
This is a relatively new tradition in the town. It arrived a bit over 100 years ago, from an inhabitant of Alfarrassí who was sent to do the mandatory military service in Tudela (Navarra). There, he saw this Tudelan tradition, and when he came back home to Alfarrassí and he brought it with him. Since 1912, it has become part of the tradition in Alfarrassí, and kids and their families considered it an honour to get the opportunity to be the angel on the string.
