Easter in Spain. Discover the Spanish Easter traditions
Easter in Spain is a very important religious event. But it is not only a time for cultivating rituals. It is also a time of unique cultural experiences, and the variety of customs and traditions associated with this holiday makes it a fascinating and unique experience for tourists visiting the Iberian Peninsula.
What you will find in the article:
- The most important Easter traditions in Spain
- The role of brotherhoods (Cofradías) during Semana Santa
- Spanish Easter dishes
- Interesting facts about Easter celebrations in Spain
- How to spend Easter in Spain?
- In Malaga, processions are full of joy, noise and cheering
During Easter in Spain, traditions, rites and customs, which are largely religious in nature, but also cultural and social, stand out.
The most important Easter traditions in Spain
- Palm Sunday
The celebration of Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. In Spain, it is a solemn day when people gather in large numbers in churches, take part in processions and the blessing of olive and laurel branches and palms made by children from palm leaves. The most famous Palm Sunday procession in Spain passes through Elche, near Alicante on the Costa Blanca.
In some regions, the faithful also reenact biblical scenes, such as Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
- Stations of the Cross processions
The spectacular events during Semana Santa, which precedes Easter in Spain, are the Stations of the Cross processions. Many churches and cathedrals organize services during which the faithful walk through the streets of cities and towns, stopping at the Stations of the Cross. At Easter in Spain, outdoor performances, street shows, called Pasión de Cristo, are also a tradition, i.e. reenactments of the suffering and death of Christ. In some cities, such as in the province of La Roja in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, they are very dramatic, with elements of self-mutilation by penitents and other rituals symbolizing the suffering of Christ.
- Religious processions in Spain
However, the most important place in the celebrations of Holy Week is taken by religious processions organized by numerous brotherhoods, during which the faithful carry large platforms with figures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, called pasos or tronos, through cities and villages decorated with flowers. During the preparations for Easter in Spain, it is already a tradition that these processions are often boisterous and spectacular, with beautiful music and dance. Depending on the city and region, however, they take on a different character, for example in Granada numerous bonfires are lit along the route of the processions, in Toledo the processions take place in a moving silence, and in Zaragoza the rhythm of the march of the faithful is set by loud drums.
Worth knowing!
A unique procession passes through the streets of the town of Verges. On Holy Thursday, the faithful take part in it dressed as skeletons, which at the climax perform the dance of death. This is to symbolize the transience and inevitability of death for each of us.
The role of brotherhoods (Cofradías) during Semana Santa
An integral part of the cultural influence around Easter in Spain are the brotherhoods. Cofradías are religious groups and organizations that bring together the faithful and organize traditional processions during Easter. They are usually associated with a church or cathedral, and their members are both men and women. During religious processions, members of the Cofradías carry sculptures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus, as well as crosses and other religious symbols.
Worth knowing!
The individual brotherhoods are distinguished by their own characteristic costumes, usually consisting of tunics in different colors and conical headdresses with holes for the eyes, which they wear during the processions.
Cofradías are usually very important for local communities. Their members work all year round to organize processions. Their main tasks include creating movable altars – such Easter thrones in Spain have a long and rich history, dating back to the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, they evolved and began to resemble sculptures more and more, and their decorations became more and more elaborate and complicated. The thrones depicted scenes from the lives of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the saints, and their decorations were made of metal, wood, fabrics and even precious stones. They are currently one of the most important elements of religious processions in Spain. They are often huge, impressive structures decorated with thousands of flowers, lights, crystals, and some even have moving elements, such as angel wings.
Spanish Easter dishes
An equally important tradition during Easter in Spain is celebrating this special time with food. Both Holy Week and Easter Sunday have their inseparable dishes, which are served on tables during meetings with friends and family dinners. It is a true festival of flavors and aromas.
Among the traditional dishes prepared during Easter in Spain are:
- Torrijas – a popular type of Easter dessert throughout Spain, which resembles French toast. It is bread soaked in milk or wine, then fried and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
- Buñuelos – tiny doughnuts filled with a large amount of vanilla cream.
- Pestiños – shortbread biscuits infused with the aroma of white wine.
- La Mona de Pascua – perhaps the most famous Spanish Easter dish – a traditional, sponge cake, round or doughnut-shaped, topped with boiled or chocolate eggs and colorful decorations, marzipan figurs, candies and other sweets. Especially popular in Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia.
- Potaje de garbanzos – a type of soup made with chickpeas, rice, potatoes, spinach and other vegetables, very popular in Andalusia.
- Bacalao – a cod dish that is one of the traditional Easter dishes in Spain. Cod is prepared in many ways, such as fried, boiled or baked, and served with various additions such as potatoes, onions, olives or peppers.
- Hornazo – a roast that is filled with meat, eggs, sausage and vegetables.
Interesting facts about celebrating Easter in Spain
Tourists may be surprised that Easter in Spain is not based on the same symbols as they know from their countries. There are no bunnies, colorful Easter eggs or sugar lambs there. Instead, the Spanish focus on the spiritual experience of religious mysteries – this is facilitated by, among other things, the fact that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are days off from work and school in Spain.
Interestingly, the most spectacular street performances take place in Andalusia. The largest and most famous religious processions in the world are in Seville and Malaga. During Semana Santa, or Holy Week, up to 300 processions pass through the streets of Seville, both day and night, with about 60 brotherhoods participating. During the procession in Malaga, flowers are often thrown from balconies at passing penitents. This is considered a tribute to their devotion and piety.
How to spend Easter in Spain?
If you are planning Easter in Spain, it is worth making Andalusia your travel destination. Easter is celebrated here very solemnly, emotionally and with great intensity. Many churches, decorated especially for this occasion, organize so-called “bitter laments”, special services during which texts about the passion of Christ are recited. This is an opportunity for reflection and prayer.
In Andalusia, Easter processions are among the most spectacular religious events not only in Spain but also in the world. It is no wonder that every year they attract thousands of tourists from all over the world who want to see these unique and beautiful celebrations. The processions take place to the sounds of tamboras – drums that beat the rhythm and set the pace.
Some of the most elaborate processions during Holy Week take place in Seville. They take place every day, and the city streets are filled with thousands of people who come to see the beautiful religious figures and decorated streets. The tradition of processions dates back to the Counter-Reformation and even earlier. An important element of their processions is the pasos, realistically painted wooden sculptures depicting scenes from the events that took place between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his crucifixion, and images of the Virgin Mary. Some of them are artistic masterpieces. In the past, dock workers were employed to transport the pasos. Since 1973, this task has been generally taken over by members of brotherhoods, who organize each procession.
In Malaga, processions are full of joy, noise and cheering
In Malaga, Easter is celebrated just as solemnly as in Seville. The streets of the city are filled with beautiful religious figures, and the processions attract crowds of tourists and locals. Holy Week in Malaga is different from that celebrated in other Andalusian or Spanish cities, and those who come to Malaga for the first time will be surprised, because here the Passion Week is not experienced by meditating in silence. The processions are full of joy, noise, cheers, and the figures appearing on the route are accompanied by applause. There are also military parades along the route, playing processional marches or singing their hymns.
Worth knowing!
Sculptures in Malaga are a unique subject. Some platforms are so huge that they have to be placed outside churches. They are often walking chapels weighing over 5,000 kilograms, carried by dozens of porters.
At Easter, Spain shows its different face. It is worth visiting at this time to see how much the celebration on the Iberian Peninsula can differ from the celebration of Easter in your country and how intense and emotional these experiences are.
