Spain’s Bizarre Cortege Festival : La Fiesta De Santa Marta De Ribarteme – Spain’s most bizarre religious pilgrimages

Survived a near death experience in the past 12 months? Congratulations, you’ve earned the right to participate in one of Spain’s more bizarre religious pilgrimages; la Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme. And the kicker is, you get to do it in a coffin.

Come late July, thousands arrive in the tiny Galician town of Las Nieves to pay witness to a procession in honor of Saint Marta de Ribarteme, the patron saint of resurrection. Those near death survivors are loaded into coffins and travel the procession route borne by loved ones. Older men, those without family, lug their own coffins to Mass before the procession – overseen by a statue of the Virgin Santa Marta – continues on up the hill toward the local cemetery and back down to circle the Church.