Celebrate Semana Santa In Spain

By Author: Erick Johnson
Total Articles: 10
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No trip to Spain is complete without seeing the breathtaking mass displays that take place during Semana Santa. Every Easter the Spanish celebrate Holy Week in fantastic style. A celebration of the death and rebirth of Christ, Andalucia is famed for hosting the grandest celebrations in the country, but each city and province in Spain celebrates in its own special way.

You will never have experienced a festival like it. From the ornate and sometimes frightening looking costumes, to the smell of traditional Spanish dishes and thick incense smoke that clouds the streets, it is a feast for the senses.

Teams of men, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, carry vast floats from city churches, through the city streets and then back to the church at the end of each day. The floats are a sight to behold, intricately decorated with fresh flowers, wax figures and swinging bells that ring out with the swaying motion of the procession.

Many tourists are taken aback by the traditional costume worn by the participants. Children wear large cloaks with pointed hoods that obscure their faces with the exception of two small ...
... eye holes cut from the cloth. The children carry large candles, incense is burned, and brass bands follow behind playing suitably mournful music.

The religious overtones cannot be ignored, but most participants are not regular churchgoers. Seen more as a fun evening of entertainment by most families, it is a great place to go to sample some of the finest Spanish cuisine and wine, watch a spectacular show, and then continue the party after the processions have ended.

All of the restaurants and bars are stacked to the rafters each night during Holy Week, and the partying and eating usually spills out into the streets. You will find special traditional Spanish fare on sale everywhere, from savoury dishes to sweet treats, as people gather at their windows to watch the parades down below.

Holy Week is the final week of lent, usually at the end of February or start of March. If you are planning a holiday to Spain to see the festivities, then always check the dates before booking your flights. Cities where you will find the most lavish celebrations, like Grenada and Seville, are well served by airlines, and flights tend to be a good deal cheaper at this time of year.

You can find some incredibly cheap flight deals to Spain, particularly from London. But look out for costly airport transfers that can soon bump up the overall cost of your holiday. One option for those looking to reduce their costs is to travel with Easybus. Their express bus services run to all of the main airports in London and tickets cost just a few pounds each way.

Erick Johnson travel a lot on a budget. He regularly saves money on his Airport Transfer when travelling to and from Gatwick