Semana Santa

La Semana Santa is the most breathtaking festivals celebrated in Spain. One of the most essential parts of Semana Santa is the religious procession, made up of long rows of nazarenos, or penitents, who slowly walk carrying candles, torches, wooden crosses, and lavish "Pasos", or floats.

This week-long religious celebration happens annually in the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter. Aside from Seville, there are many other cities that host the celebration of Semana Santa, including Toledo, Segovia, Avila, Salamanca, and Valladolid.


The festival takes place in the week leading up to Easter Sunday. But the exact dates change every year; Semana Santa usually falls in late March or early April. In Spain, the festivities begin on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and last until Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua). There are parades of brotherhood along with the drum roll sounds. In Spain, the style and atmosphere of the processions vary according to each city; in Seville, for instance, the religious parades feature spectacular flamenco performances (saetas), sung from the balconies in the city's narrow streets.