Holy Week in Spain, or Semana Santa, is a captivating experience for locals and travelers alike. Though a traditionally Catholic celebration, this full week of festivities is filled with both somber and light-hearted activities that will fill your camera roll (or storage space, as the case may be).
From colorful processions to ornately woven palms, it is one of the most eye-catching and heartfelt celebrations in the world. We’ll take a look at what you can expect during the week of festivities during Semana Santa in Spain. If you’re honoring the festivities from home, check out the traditional foods that you can try making yourself!
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What is Semana Santa?
Holy Week is one of the most important festivals in Spain and other Christian or predominantly Catholic countries as it honors the culmination of Christ’s death and resurrection. Respectful visitors of all faiths and walks of life are welcome to partake in the festivities, and many find the processions to be deeply moving.
Each day is tied to events that occurred in the week leading up to Jesus’ death, according to biblical accounts. No matter where Holy Week is celebrated, there are three days that carry the most importance.
- Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): On this day, locals weave palmas (palm leaves) into intricate shapes. They’re used to adorn streetwide processions, and the palms are then blessed by clergy members. This tradition hearkens back to the palm branches waved by devoted followers when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
- Viernes Santo (Holy Friday): On Good Friday, silent, somber processions, complete with elaborate floats and matching clothing, occur throughout the day to commemorate Jesus’ walk to his crucifixion.
- La Pascua (Easter Sunday): Christians around the world celebrate La Pascua (Easter Sunday) as the day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead and triumph over sin and suffering. Specific foods are made that represent Christ’s empty tomb and people attend special mass and other church services.
Many of the rituals you’ll see today in Spain originated in the Middle Ages. They are a mixture of many existing practices either formed or influenced by the Roman Empire, pagan groups, brotherhoods of penitents, crusaders, and even military groups. The Catholic Church struggled to control some of the practices, so they often gave authority to specific brotherhoods while trying to ban other groups. Still, Holy Week in Spain serves as an incredible window into the past and represents centuries of history and tradition.
When is Semana Santa in 2025?
Holy Week changes each year as it follows the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. This year, Semana Santa takes place during April 13–20, 2025. Easter is traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, or the full moon that lands on or just after the spring equinox. Easter Sunday is the most important date during Holy Week, which falls over the same week of the Jewish celebration of Passover.
Palm Sunday marks the first day of Semana Santa in Spain and the last week of La Cuaresma (Lent). One week later, Easter Sunday marks both the culmination of Holy Week and the most important event in the Christian faith.
>> Gain speaking confidence with these basic Spanish words before your trip!
How is Holy Week celebrated in Spain?
With so many options to choose from, you’ll need to plan your time carefully and choose which city in Spain you want to see. While some similarities remain between cities and regions, you’ll notice that each church and corresponding cofradía (brotherhood) has their own centuries-old traditions. No two celebrations are alike, but here are the most common celebrations whether you’re in Barcelona, Seville, or Toledo.
Semana Santa processions
The most widely known Semana Santa tradition is the processions. You’ve probably seen the vibrant pasos (floats), which are an iconic symbol of Semana Santa, but the cofradías (brotherhoods), costaleros (porters), and nazarenos (Nazarenes) hold equally important roles. So does the procession itself, which is meant to mimic the difficulty of Jesus’ walk to Calvary.
Children in the crowd watch in awe, sometimes with hands held out to receive candy from the passing nazarenos, and parents and grandparents take the opportunity to educate their children about the events depicted in the paso.
At various times during the procession, the mood of the crowd might be celebratory and festive, whereas at other times the crowd may fall silent out of respect. As a visitor, you’ll want to follow the examples of the locals to avoid disrupting impolitely.
Spectators gather to watch along the route as the pasos sways slowly through the streets. Ticketed seats with a good view can cost hundreds of euros, or you can get there early to stand with the crowds on the street.
Pasos (statues)
Pasos are large, elaborate displays carried on foot during each procession, which refers back to the literal translation of “steps.”. They are works of art in every sense of the word: ornately carved, painstakingly painted, and intricately embroidered or lined with silver and gold. Often, they carry candles and fresh flowers, and some even contain relics that date back over 500 years!
To ensure details are preserved, pasos are cared for year-round by a cofradía (brotherhood) and housed in local churches. Originally, the pasos served to educate a public that couldn’t read the Bible for themselves by depicting the major events and stories of Holy Week.
Each church in the city houses the pasos. Some have two pasos, one depicting Jesus in a specific scene of the events of Holy Week, and one depicting his mother Mary and an aspect of her grief and sorrow. If you have your sights set on seeing a specific paso, be aware that some are too delicate to be carried outdoors in the rain. In that case, Cofradías arrange a special schedule for their procession which is published and shared with local towns in advance.
Cofradías
Cofradías (brotherhoods) are distinct religious associations of non-clergy members and devoted followers of the faith. Their primary purpose is community, but the second purpose is preparing for and leading the processions of Spain’s Semana Santa. Each brotherhood is characterized by their devotion to a religious figure, like Jesus, Mary, or one of the many Catholic saints.
It’s not uncommon to find generations of family members in a cofradía, which adds to the tradition and legacy of each group. In Semana Santa celebrations, cofradía members can be identified by the color of their robes.
Nazarenos
The processions also include the nazarenos (Nazarenes), which are another iconic image of the event. Often wearing pointed hoods and rich robes, nazarenos are members of the public who join the procession as an act of penitence. Some may carry wooden crosses or extremely long candles. They may even drop hot wax onto their hands to demonstrate the level of penitence.
A grueling journey
Each procession begins and ends in the church where the honorary pasos resides. The salida (exit) from the church holds special importance; it is the only time the paso leaves its home all year.
To prepare for the procession, the costaleros (porters) gather into position, wearing robes and sometimes hoods to disguise their faces. Some pasos weigh over two tons, but the costaleros share this weight collectively, standing in a grid formation to shoulder the wooden supports over their neck and upper back. The pain and burden is considered an honor, representing their sharing in the suffering of Christ and penitence for wrongdoing.
A guide leads the procession through the doors and into the streets. The group must step together and keep pace, creating a swaying effect as the leader calls out their steps. They leave the church and begin a grueling journey, the longest of which lasts up to 14 hours!
The costaleros need to be prepared for a physically taxing day, which is why they prepare and practice in the weeks leading up to this event by carrying wooden grids weighed down with concrete blocks.
Traditional clothing for Semana Santa in Spain
Other than the pasos, the most iconic part of Semana Santa is the clothing. The brotherhoods each have their own traditions that dictate the color, robe, hood, belt or rope, and insignia. The symbolism, colors, and meaning go back hundreds of years, and often the specific item of clothing is passed down from generation to generation! Some of the belts and ropes are still made by hand on spinning wheels and are a valued piece of quality artwork on display. In Seville, solemn women wearing traditional mantillas, black lace face veils and black dresses also accompany the men.
Surrounding the costaleros, additional hooded figures wearing sharply pointed cones (capirote) on their heads are another eye-catching part of the parades. These nazarenos (Nazarenes) represent penitentes (penitents), those experiencing sorrow and punishment for their wrongdoings. The symbolism of the centuries-old pointed cones on their heads directs their penitence to heaven to show humility. Their identities are disguised from the time they leave their homes, alone, until they return. Though they can receive a gift of water along the way, it’s not appropriate to remove the hood during the procession.
Traditional foods to eat during Holy Week in Spain
Though the costaleros and nazarenos will abstain from eating until their work is done, you certainly don’t need to! And no religious festivity is complete without the food. Though the events take place during the Lenten season of self-denial, Holy Week in Spain is no disappointment when it comes to the culinary experience. Enjoy eating many of these traditional foods from Spain usually made during Semana Santa.
- Torrija: A Spanish-style French toast, sweet and made with milk and eggs like a bread pudding. There are many possible flavors, and it is a must during this season.
- Pestiños: Deep-fried sweets made with flour, honey, aniseed, and cinnamon.
- Garbanzos con espinacas: This dish of chickpeas with spinach is a savory meatless option for those who are abstaining during Lent.
- Mona de Pascua: Known as Easter cake and decorated with whole eggs, this dessert is traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday or Monday.
- Croquetas de bacalao: Fish croquettes are popular cod fritters served as tapas or a light meal.
- Sopa de ajo: This garlic soup is a simple dish that can be served with poached egg.
- Rosquillas or Buñuelos: These sweet and savory donuts are a welcome treat on Easter in Spain, but you’ll also find them served at Christmas in many Latin American countries!
- Flores fritas: Known as “fried flowers,” these sweet fritters are flavored with aniseed and orange and are perfect with a hot beverage.
- Potaje de Vigilia: This stew made with garbanzos, spinach, cod, and garlic, is popular on Viernes Santo (Good Friday).
- Sancocho Canaria: This fish stew was made famous in the Canary Islands and is closely tied with many dishes served in the Caribbean.
- Patatas Viudas: A Lenten adaptation of a potato dish which does not contain meat, but is flavored with aromatics, bell pepper, and Spanish paprika.
- Tapas: In general, these “small plates” are a not-to-be-missed experience during Semana Santa and year-round. Take advantage of Spain’s wealth of seafood-based bites, or other small shareable dishes made with simply-prepared vegetables, olives, cheeses, and other toppers for bites of bread.
How does Semana Santa differ among regions of Spain?
While the celebrations across Spain seem to unify locals with cultural identity and tradition, each region has distinctives that set it apart. The practices of the processions, floats, brotherhoods, and penitent robes are part of the tradition in most cities. But if you’re looking for the most glamorous celebrations for Semana Santa, go to Seville in Andalusia. For a more solemn occasion, Castile and León tend to hold more serious celebrations during Holy Week.
Here are a few of the differences of Semana Santa among the cities in Spain:
- Jerez de la Frontera: Here you can experience the saeta, a traditional style of regional song performed on balconies and characterized by strong emotions.
- Málaga: You can witness a slew of festive bands and the tallest tronos (thrones carried on the pasos). The tone of processions in Málaga is also noticeably less somber than that of processions elsewhere.
- Seville: Marvel at the antiquity of the pasos that appear to float through the streets alone. This optical illusion is a simple one, though! The costaleros are simply well hidden under the structure of the float.
- León: In one procession, two of the floats meet and carry out a synchronized movement where they appear to dance with one another.
- Salamanca: Witness one of the oldest celebrations in Spain, dating back to 1240.
- Valladoid: Horses aren’t prevalent in most Semana Santa celebrations, but you will find them featured here as members of the Valladoid brotherhood pronounce the “Sermon of the Seven Words” on horseback.
- Zamora: Sisterhoods and brotherhoods alike celebrate in more of a medieval style with robes traditionally worn by monks and choirs instead of bands. Nighttime processions are held in silence.
- Toledo: Visitors may get the chance to peek inside the city’s monasteries and convents in what is typically the only opportunity of the year as they are generally closed to the public.
- Cartagena: The celebrations follow a stricter order and are more chronological in terms of events.
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Semana Santa is a window into Spain’s wider culture. Catholicism is, of course, a focal point of Spanish culture, but celebration, community, and passing tradition down through the generations are wonderful narrative ties that all can appreciate.
The richness of world cultures can leave us curious, impressed, intrigued, and moved to an extent that goes beyond the boundaries of language. Rosetta Stone offers multiple entry points into an unfamiliar culture, with immersive, bite-sized lessons that help you learn language and expand your cultural knowledge.
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