Semana Santa en España

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the most important celebrations in Spain. This is also called Pascua (Easter).

Las celebraciones People in towns and villages all over Spain take part in Easter celebrations.

Domingo de Ramos Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Holy Week. Many people go to church for a special mass. Children are given a palm branch by their godparents. This represents the olive branches laid on the ground to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem.

Semana Santa en Sevilla Seville has some of the most spectacular and elaborate celebrations.

Las procesiones Large floats called “pasos” make their way through the streets. They have religious figures on them. They are often very elaborate and always very heavy!

Los costaleros The “pasos” are carried by groups of men called “costaleros”. Here they are practising with sandbags. They move very slowly.

Viernes Santo Good Friday is commemorated with very serious and sombre processions. They are usually either silent or accompanied by slow drumming.

Processions are also accompanied by “una banda de música”.

Los penitentes “Los penitentes” carry a wooden cross and wear a floppy hood, “un antifaz”. They are often in processions on Good Friday.

Los nazarenos Los nazarenos wear stiff conical hats called “capirotes”.

Los nazarenos

Sábado santo – Easter Saturday This is perhaps the most mournful day of processions, as people remember Christ’s burial.

Domingo de la Resurrección Easter Sunday processions are louder and more joyous.

Easter Sunday

Some of the work that goes into preparing for Semana Santa… Making “capirotes” for “los nazarenos ”

Embroidering the cloths for a “paso”.

Practising carrying “el paso”

“¡Feliz Pascua!” “Felices pascuas”

La Semana Santa – Holy Week Las Procesiones de Semana Santa (Easter Processions) are the main activities during la Semana Santa. The pointed hoods of los penitentes are very familiar across the country; so are los pasos (the huge floats carrying religious figures). The figure of the Virgin Mary or Christ on each paso is elaborately dressed and jewelled as las Cofradías (guilds or brotherhoods) compete for the honour of the best-presented figure. Los pasos are brought out by los costaleros (their bearers) from various churches in the city/town and their procesiones are accompanied by the band of music, which every cofradía has, walking through the streets to the churches from where they came out. Las saetas (passionate songs) are sung by people watching las procesiones in the streets to stop los pasos at various places.