
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the week just before Easter. It is also the last week of Lent, in the West, – Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday – are all included. However, Easter Day, which begins the season of Eastertide, is no…
Zamora
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 kilometres downstream as it reaches the Portuguese border. With its 24 characteristic Ro…
Valladolid
Valladolid is a city in Spain and the de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of 309,714 people, making it Spain's 13th most populous municipality and northwestern Spain's biggest city. Its metropolitan area ranks 20th in Spain with a pop…
What happens during Holy Week in Spain?
Feb 08, 2022 · 5 of the Best Places to Celebrate Easter in Spain. Seville. Religious processions take to the streets all through Holy Week and you can find them happening in practically every city in Spain. Valencia. Valencia does things a little differently from the rest of the country by celebrating Maritime Holy Week. Barcelona.
What are the holidays in Holy Week?
Apr 03, 2020 · Due to their singularities, a few celebrations are really famous and have been declared of Interés Turístico Internacional (International Tourist Interest) such as the Holy Week of Malaga, the Holy Week of Salamanca, but the most famous is, without any doubt, the Holy Week of Seville, celebrated since the 16th century.
How do the Spanish celebrate Holy Week?
5 of the Best Places to Celebrate Easter in Spain Seville. Religious processions take to the streets all through Holy Week and you can find them happening in practically every city in Spain. Valencia. Valencia does things a little differently from the rest of the country by celebrating Maritime Holy Week. Barcelona. Valladolid. La Rioja.
How do most people celebrate Easter in Spain?
Some major differences between Spanish regions are noticeable in this events: Holy Week sees its most glamorous celebrations in the region of Andalusia, particularly in Málaga and Seville, while those of Castile and León see the more sombre and solemn processions, typified by Semana Santa at Zamora and Valladolid. This is a religious holiday.

Where do they celebrate the biggest Holy Week in Spain?
Some major differences between Spanish regions are perceivable in this event: Holy Week sees its most glamorous celebrations in the region of Andalusia, especially in Jerez de la Frontera, Granada, Málaga and Seville, while those of Castile and Leon see the more sombre and solemn processions, typified by Semana Santa ...
Who celebrates Holy Week in Spain?
Christian CatholicsIn Spain, Holy Week is a major celebration period that starts on Palm Sunday and ends the day before Easter. Thus, this week is composed of six very important days for Christian Catholics in the country. However, four of these days tend to be more fervently celebrated than the others: Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos).Mar 27, 2020
Where does Semana Santa take place in Spain?
SevilleWhere to experience Semana Santa. The most renowned and liveliest Semana Santa celebrations are in Andalucia. Seville and Malaga have the biggest celebrations in the region. Meanwhile cities in the Castile and Leon region of Spain are known for having more traditional and sombre celebrations.
How is the Holy Week Celebrated in Spain?
Holy Week in Spain is the annual commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter.
What is Corpus Christi in Spain?
Corpus Christi ObservancesYearWeekdayDate2022ThuJun 162023ThuJun 82024ThuMay 302025ThuJun 198 more rows
How is Holy Thursday celebrated in Spain?
On this day, the Catholic Church commemorates the Eucharist. In Madrid, there is an Easter procession in the street in which nazarenos carry heavy pasos which are big statues that represent scenes from Jesus Christ's life.
What is La Semana Santa in Spain?
The Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday is a time of celebration all throughout Spain. This mesmerizing cultural event is known around the world for its unique beauty and mystery.
Does all of Spain celebrate Semana Santa the same?
The celebrations that happen all over Spain during Semana Santa every March or April are a religious tradition that has been taking place since the 16th century.Apr 9, 2019
Where is Santa in Spain?
There is no Santa Claus Traditionally, Spanish people have never celebrated Father Christmas coming to town in December, although it is becoming more common. Instead, the presents are usually delivered to children on 6th January by the Reyes Magos, the Three Wise Men.Dec 9, 2021
What happens on Palm Sunday in Spain?
The first day of the Holy Week is called el Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday. This is a celebration of the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem. As he walked, people laid palm trees on the ground in front of him.Jan 19, 2022
Where does Semana Santa take place?
SpainWhere Does The Semana Santa Take Place? While the Semana Santa celebrations take place all around Spain, the most renowned processions happen in Andalusia — especially in cities like Seville and Malaga — and in the Castile and León region. Each city has its unique celebrations, and they usually differ from each other.Aug 6, 2021
Is Ash Wednesday a holiday in Spain?
Is Ash Wednesday a Public Holiday? This is a provincial public holiday. Schools, businesses, and government offices in the province observing this holiday will be closed.
What is the holy week in Spain?
Holy Week in Spain is the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradía) and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter .
Which city in Spain has the most Holy Week?
Córdoba. Córdoba holds one of the most popular Holy Week in Spain. 37 brotherhoods take part in processions with elaborate "pasos" which represents the scenes of the events of The Passion of Christ.
What is the most elaborate procession in Spain?
The tradition dates from Counter Reformation times, or even earlier. The " Semana Santa de Sevilla " is notable for featuring the procession of " pasos ", lifelike painted wooden sculptures of individual scenes of the events that happened between Jesus' entry in Jerusalem and his burial, or images of the Virgin Mary showing restrained grief for the torture and killing of her son. Some of the images are artistic masterworks of great antiquity. One of the Most Popular and Beautiful Image of the Virgin Mary depicting her Sorrows is the Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de Triana, "La Reina y Señora de Sevilla" (The Queen and Lady of Seville) These "pasos" (which usually weigh over a metric ton) are physically carried on the neck of costaleros (literally "sack men", for their distinctive -and functional- headdress). The "costaleros" (from 24 to 48) are hidden inside the platform of the "paso", so it seems to walk alone. Historically dock workers were hired to carry the "pasos". From 1973 onward, that task has been universally taken over by the members of the confraternities who organize each procession.
What is the Spanish holy week?
Holy Week in Spain is the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradía) and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter .
What is Spain known for?
Spain is known especially for its Holy Week traditions or Semana Santa. The celebration of Holy Week regarding popular piety relies almost exclusively on the processions of the brotherhoods or fraternities. These associations have their origins in the Middle Age, but a number of them were created during the Baroque Period, ...
What is the most solemn moment in Semana Santa?
The most solemn moment is El Encuentro (The Meeting) when the pasos representing Saint John and La Dolorosa face one to the other and are "bailados" (penitents move the paso as if Saint John and La Dolorosa were dancing). Semana Santa in Leon was declared Fiesta of International Tourist Interest of Spain in 2002.
What is the color of the brotherhood?
The colour of this brotherhood is red. The brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus of Nazareth (known as Marrajos) is in charge of the processions held on Holy Monday, on the early hours of Good Friday, in the evening of Good Friday and on Holy Saturday. The colour of this brotherhood is purple.
What are the traditions of Holy Week in Spain?
Traditions of Holy Week in Spain: The Capirote. The global pandemic has disrupted the normal celebration of the Holy Week in Spain, where, for a second year, the government has forbidden the celebration of public processions. As many of our readers will know, the Holy Week processions in Spain are one of the key cultural ...
What is the Holy Week processions?
As many of our readers will know, the Holy Week processions in Spain are one of the key cultural and religious expressions of the people , and in many cases in the hyper-secularized world, one of the few moments throughout the year when the presence if Christ is so dramatically manifested in the streets. The Hispanic Society of New York.
What does hijacking the Capirote mean?
Unfortunately, this hijacking of the capirote means that its use in the United States is all but impossible, and leads to many American tourists with uncomfortable questions. Updated 03/31/21, misprint correction.
What are Goya's two paintings?
Details from two paintings by Goya: A Procession of Flagellants and The Inquisition Tribunal 1819. These works were created as part of anticlerical propaganda effort by the enlightened cultural elites of the time and have later become the epitome of the Spanish black legend.
Where did the cucurucho come from?
Early 16th century glazed terracotta lunetto at the Chiostro dello Scalzo, Florence. Picture by the author. The cucurucho or coroza, on the other hand finds its origins in a paper or parchment cone hat that was worn by public penitents. It's etymology probably derives from the latin cuculla.
What is the head covering called in Malaga?
In other places such as Málaga, the head covering, known colloquially as faraona is nothing but a vestigial capirote, deprived of its face covering and its cone. Picture by semanasantamalaga.info.
When was the first Confraternity 2?
It is believed that the first confraternity two combine the two elements was the Sevillian Hermandad de San Juan de Letrán y Nuestra Señora de la Hiniesta in the 17th century and was progressively widely adopted in both Seville and the rest of Spain and even Rome.

Overview
Holy Week in Spain is the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradía) and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter.
Description
Spain is known especially for its Holy Week traditions or Semana Santa. The celebration of Holy Week regarding popular piety relies almost exclusively on the processions of the brotherhoods or fraternities. These associations have their origins in the Middle Age, but a number of them were created during the Baroque Period, inspired by the Counterreformationand also during the 20th and 21st centuries. The membership is usually open to any Catholic person and family tradition i…
Holy Week in Andalusia
During Holy Week in Andalusia, Malaga (1980), Granada (2009) and Seville (1980) are declared of international tourist interest. Holy Week in Jerez de la Frontera (1993), Cabra (1989), Río Gordo (1997), Baena (2001) and Almería (2017) are of national tourist interest. In another Range are those declared only of tourist Interest by the Secretary of State of the Government of Spain, which …
Holy Week in Castile and León
Holy Week processions in León are also very popular, with more than 15,000 penitents (called papones, in Leonese language) on the streets. Processions begin on "Viernes de Dolores" (the Friday in the week before Holy Week) and last until Easter Sunday. The most solemn and famous procession is the "Procesion de los Pasos", also known as the "Procesion del Encuentro" (Procession of the …
Holy Week in Region of Murcia
The processions in Cartagena do not closely resemble others in Spain due to their strict order and unique characteristics.
Every brotherhood is divided into smaller groups ("agrupaciones"), each in charge of one of the floats in the procession. The members of the group are all clad in the same colours and wear a robe, a sash around the waist, a cloak, a h…
Holy Week in Galicia
Ferrol's Holy Week is one of the two main celebrations of this type in Galicia. It is a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest since 2014 and Fiesta of National Tourist Interest of Spain before that, since 1995.
Since Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday 25 processionsgo over the three oldest neighborhoods of the town organized by 5 different "cofradías." This processions are composed by "tronos" which carr…
Tourism
Holy Week is not only a religious, cultural and social event but a touristic one. Many visitors from inside and outside Spain travel to attend the crowded parades. The most popular destinations holds titles and declarations of International Interest for tourist of Spain and are promoted in major International Fairs, TV, press and so on. Every year, many hand guides are rele…
Holy Week in the Spanish culture
Many Spanish artists have included, recreated or used the Holy Week as a background in their creations, such as paintings, music, literature or movies, reflecting the cultural and social importance of these events. Painter Zuloaga, writers Antonio Machado and Federico García Lorca, composer Joaquin Turina and filmmaker Mateo Gil are some examples.