Escola Ramon Macip – Dolors Granés

Easter is the most important annual religious celebration in the Christian liturgical year (according to Christian tradition).

The Passion of Christ or Easter Week (Setmana Santa) is one of the most important celebrations in Spain. The festivities begin with the Palm Sunday and end with Easter Monday. The date of this celebration changes each year, but it’s between March and April.

In the major cities of Spain, especially in Andalucía region, there are processions during all Easter week. They all portray life, colour, culture, music and dance, all with a very religious meaning. They all portray life, colour, culture, music and dance, all with a very religious meaning. They are of huge proportions, often stretching for miles. Everywhere, processions make their way through the streets, carrying religious icons and symbols of their faith.

These are different kind of processions.

“Nazarenos” wear a pointed hood which recalls the approachment from the penitents to heaven.

“Diumenge de Rams” (Palm Sunday) is the first day of Setmana Santa, when Christians celebrate Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection. They remember the entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem. The date of this celebration changes each year, but it’s between March and April. This celebration begins with the benediction of Palmas and olive/laurel branches, which are carried in people hands, remembering this Evangelic passage. This is a “Palma”.

Some families go to mass in the morning. Children carry palm leaves to be blessed by the priest. Boys carry a simple palm branch and the girls carry a branch that has been decorated. They often have sweets, tinsel or other decorations hanging from them. Here you can see some of our pupils on Palm Sunday.

Children carry palms and grandparents olive branches.

This “palma” is decorated with sweets.

This child celebrated Palm Sunday in the cloister of a monastery.

This special day is celebrated with the family.

This is a “Mona”. We celebrate Easter Monday, especially in Catalonia, the last day of Setmana Santa. Godfathers gives the Mona and/or Easter eggs to their godsons. Mona is a kind of cake.

Most of the cakes and sculptures are decorated with coloured feathers, chocolate eggs, fluffy chicks, etc. Most of the cakes and sculptures are decorated with coloured feathers, chocolate eggs, fluffy chicks, etc. During Easter week, you can see chocolate sculptures representing Disney characters, football idols, etc. adorning the cake shop windows and each shopkeeper tries to make the biggest and the best in order to attract attention of children.

Here are some pictures of different “Monas“ and chocolate sculptures from our pupils. Here are some pictures of different “Monas“ and chocolate sculptures from our pupils.

As you can see, chocolate, chicks, feathers, eggs and small toys are prominent in Monas.

This is an elaborated Mona. It is the kingdom of chocolate This is an elaborated Mona. It is the kingdom of chocolate

Here are some pupils prouds of their Monas and chocolate sculptures. Here are some pupils prouds of their Monas and chocolate sculptures.

And now it’s the moment children we’re expecting… Eating time!!!.

Children enjoyed this day with the family and eating Monas and Easter chocolate eggs, too.

At school, 6 years old pupils made a Mona (Easter cake) in the class. At school, 6 years old pupils made a Mona (Easter cake) in the class.

1 st A year pupils and their Mona. 1 st A year pupils and their Mona.

1 st B year pupils, Noelia and their Mona. 1 st B year pupils, Noelia and their Mona.

Thank you Rubén! Our Mona is delicious!!! Our Mona is delicious!!!

Hope you’ve enjoyed it!