1. Semana Santa en España

2. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the most important celebrations in Spain. This is also called Pascua (Easter).

3. Las celebraciones People in towns and villages all over Spain take part in Easter celebrations.

4. Domingo de Ramos
Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Holy Week. Many people go to church for a special mass. Children are given a palm branch by their godparents. This represents the olive branches laid on the ground to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem.

5. Semana Santa en Sevilla
Seville has some of the most spectacular and elaborate celebrations.

6. Las procesiones
Large floats called “pasos” make their way through the streets. They have religious figures on them. They are often very elaborate and always very heavy!

7. Los costaleros
The “pasos” are carried by groups of men called “costaleros”.
Here they are practising with sandbags. They move very slowly.

8. Viernes Santo
Good Friday is commemorated with very serious and sombre processions. They are usually either silent or accompanied by slow drumming.

9. Processions are also accompanied by “una banda de música”.

10. Los penitentes
“Los penitentes” carry a wooden cross and wear a floppy hood, “un antifaz”. They are often in processions on Good Friday. They come seeking forgiveness for their sins.

11. Los nazarenos
Los nazarenos wear stiff conical hats called “capirotes”. They are members of religious associations that care for the “pasos” during the year and plan the events of the Semana Santa.

12. Los nazarenos

13. Sábado santo – Easter Saturday
This is perhaps the most mournful day of processions, as people remember Christ’s burial.

14. Domingo de la Resurrección
Easter Sunday processions are louder and more joyous.

15. Easter Sunday

16. Some of the work that goes into preparing for Semana Santa…
Making “capirotes” for “los nazarenos”

17. Embroidering the cloths for a “paso”.

18. Practising carrying “el paso”

19. “¡Feliz Pascua!”
“Felices pascuas”