How many people go to semana santa

The same can not be said for the conical hood capirote which bears a striking resemblance to the dress worn by the K. Rest assured, no connection exists between the two traditions. There can be up to a whopping 3, nazarenos participating in some of the bigger processions. Women wear this intricate headpiece towards the end of Semana Santa in Seville. These beautifully woven lace veils are exceptionally detailed.

Women often seek professional help to fit them in place, as you have to weave your hair around the comb to keep it in place — not easy! La Saeta is a traditional religious song you will hear at a certain point during the procession. This emotive, acapella performance is a highlight of Semana Santa in Seville for many locals. To sing the saeta is an honor, and only the best local performers get the sought-after opportunity. However, to witness it should be appreciated just as much.

Hearing the angst of the performer in the presence of the paso as the entire crowd stands in complete silence is spectacular. Appropriate given processions run all night long through to the next day.

One of the most important processions during this night is the Macarena, which also happens to be one of the biggest and most-watched of the whole celebration. Unsubscribe at any time. Terms and conditions here. After studying in Andalusia, Jaimie made sure he was on the first possible flight back to Seville—the day after graduation! Hi, Des. Hopefully, you can still get to see some processions from other points in the city.

Standing by the river and watching the processions come from Triana over the bridge is a special sight — Jaimie. This is a very informative post. Hi Raul! The experience will be similar, no matter which day you do it. Book soon though because tickets are already selling out! Jamie, thank you for your detailed explanation of Semana Santa.

We have been watching the Palm Sunday procession all day in Seville and now understand what it all means, especially the traditional garments worn. Thanks again. Kate from Australia. So happy to hear it, Kate—it is quite beautiful to see, especially when you understand it. We would love to join one of your Semana Santa tours. Will you be offering that tour next year?

Zamora: Zamora has a very unique way of commemorating Holy Week. Here you will witness a silent procession, where the bells of the viaticum and the beating of the candles on the ground are the only sounds that break the silence in the impressive procession of the Yacente de Zamora, every Holy Thursday at night.

Valladolid : Valladolid transforms into an incredible open air-museum during Semana Santa, as every Good Friday a special parade passes through the streets, displaying the best Castilian imagery of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Churches in the town also stay open so visitors can come and admire their beautiful works of art. The Big Cities. Madrid: Madrid commemorates Easter with a variety of religious and fun activities.

Churches and basilicas schedule religious music concerts, whilst numerous brotherhoods take part in processions they have been preparing for all year long, and the city's best restaurants and cake shops serve and sell typical Easter dishes, such as torrijas.

Barcelona: there are numerous processions, masses and feasts to look out for when visiting the Catalan capital. One of the best places to observe this celebration is outside the Cathedral of Barcelona which sees the largest parades of its kind in the city.

Madrid's Semana Santa procession passing through the street. The dates of the celebration vary on a yearly basis, given that the feast is not attached to a specific date but rather to a cosmic phenomenon. Therefore, you can roughly plan on early spring to see Spain's famous processions, but you should check your calendar before making any definite plans. Cities, towns, and villages across all of Spain come to life during Semana Santa.

While each city has its own unique Holy Week celebrations, tag sunny Seville as your main destination for an experience that will leave you absolutely speechless. Each of these processions typically boasts two intensely adorned floats, one of the Virgin and the other of a scene from Christ's Passion. Take in the lavish decoration of these incredible creations as they slowly pass before you accompanied by the music of coronets and drums; its hard to do without getting chills.

Underneath each float, you'll just barely be able to make out rows and rows of feet. There are up to forty men, called costaleros , who haul the float on shoulders and control its swaying motion.

In fact, they practice so much and are so in sync with each other that the realistic figures on top look eerily as if they were walking along to the music.

Impossible to miss are the seemingly endless rows of nazarenos , or penitents, who walk along with the float.. You may even see many nazarenos walking barefoot, which is pretty impressive, considering some of the processions last up to 14 hours!

Oh, and don't be thrown off by the resemblance between the pointy hoods and long robes of the nazarenos and those of the Ku Klux Klan: it's coincidental and completely unrelated.