Easter traditions in Spain: experience its passion and devotion like never before

If you feel attracted by the Easter traditions in Spain and you think the time has come to experience them first hand, this article will show you the most emblematic traditions that you can’t miss.

This celebration, the date of which varies each year according to the lunar calendar, takes place between March and April. It begins with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Sunday, it is a week full of fervour and symbolism. Highlights include Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper; Good Friday, which is marked by the most solemn processions in honour of the Passion of Christ; and Holy Saturday, a day of reflection before the celebration of the Resurrection.

The processions are undoubtedly the most representative event of Holy Week in Spain, attracting thousands of worshippers and visitors every year. However there are many other ancient customs that are still alive and well, which we invite you to discover with us (such as Christmas, for example).

Join us in this Quadratia guide and immerse yourself in the essence of the Spanish Holy Week!

1. Religious processions and pasos

We begin our tour with one of the most characteristic features of this festival: the religious processions and pasos, which attract thousands of visitors every year.

These religious processions take place Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and are made up of the pasos, which are platforms on which are placed figures representing different scenes from the Passion of Christ or the Virgin Mary, for example.

The processions usually begin in the afternoon or evening, so that the light and atmosphere created are even more dramatic and solemn.

Isabel Soriano, Sales and Marketing Office Coordinator at Quadratia

All over Spain there are countless emblematic processions, so many that it is impossible to mention them all. As a reference, we will focus on the most important of those held in three Mediterranean cities: Alicante, Malaga and Murcia.

Alicante at Easter

Easter traditions in Alicante combine religious fervour with the beauty of the Mediterranean. It is a festival of regional tourist interest and its religious parades stand out for the majesty of their thrones and the emotional intensity with which they are experienced in the streets, with processions organised by a large number of brotherhoods and sisterhoods all over the Costa Blanca.

Of all the processions in Alicante, La Hermandad de Santa Cruz is the most spectacular, with its thrones descending through the steep and narrow streets of the old quarter. The protagonists are the four images that make up the Brotherhood of Santa Cruz: the Captive, ‘El Gitano’, the Virgin of Sorrows and the Descent from the Cross.

Malaga at Easter

Easter Week in Malaga is one of the most spectacular in Spain, declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest. The so-called ‘men of the throne’ are responsible for carrying their imposing giant thrones on their shoulders, among hundreds of others.

When the processions take place in Malaga, a city on the Costa del Sol, there is a festive atmosphere that is hard to match. Thunderous applause accompanies the thrones as they rise, creating a unique atmosphere.

If you are looking to experience Holy Week like a true Malagueño, you should not miss the procession of El Cautivo, which takes place on Easter Monday and is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed by the faithful.

Isabel Soriano, Sales and Marketing Office Coordinator at Quadratia

Murcia at Easter

Murcia’s Holy Week is known for its unique Baroque style, which finds it maximum expression in the images of the sculptor Francisco Salzillo, a reference point on the Costa Cálida to such an extent that the most important one is called the Salzillos Procession. The procession takes place on the morning of Good Friday and is one of the most famous in the city. The Real y Muy Ilustre Cofradía de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, created in 1600, is in charge of displaying its figures.

It is also a Festival of International Tourist Interest and in its processions the most striking feature is the Nazarenes, who endlessly hand out sweets and Easter cakes to the children present.

2. The saetas and penances

The saetas are the soundtrack of the Spanish Holy Week. As the processions advance, these songs that form part of the oldest cultural traditions of our country are sung. They are short compositions, sung a capella and are usually very dramatic and emotional.

The most unique thing about the saetas is that they can be improvised on the spot, according to the feeling that the religious images provoke in the people and in the saeteros themselves, which is how the saeta singers are called. The silence with which those present listen to the songs is truly impressive.

Isabel Soriano, Sales and Marketing Office Coordinator at Quadratia

3. Confraternities and brotherhoods

These are the local groups that organise and form an important part of the Holy Week processions. Each brotherhood or sisterhood is distinguished from the rest by its symbols and costumes, and its members carry the paso on their shoulders in a ritual that is considered a great sign of devotion and faith.

4. Use of candles and incense burners

There is a common element in all Easter processions: the striking decorations of flowers, candles and other decorative elements, such as incense burners. Each of these objects is carefully chosen to create a unique atmosphere and to form what is considered by many to be an authentic work of art, many years old, and an unforgettable experience for those lucky enough to be part of it.

In fact, among all the participants, there are always the most devout people who decide to walk alongside the saint, forming an important part of the processions and pasos.

5. Vigil and prayers

Another of the traditions of Holy Week in Spain are the vigils, where moments of prayer and waiting in which the faithful prepare themselves spiritually to receive the expected steps of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. Two vigils are held during Holy Week:

• Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday): this is the most important celebration and takes place from the night of Holy Saturday until the early hours of Easter Sunday. The Easter candle is lit as a symbol of the light of the Risen Christ, and there are biblical readings that tell the story of salvation.
• Holy Thursday Vigil: after the Last Supper, there is usually an evening adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, recalling the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

6. Easter Mona

Traditional Easter cuisine in Spain arouses a lot of interest, and one of its indisputed protagonists is the Easter mona, a sweet bread dough decorated with hard-boiled eggs, or with chocolate eggs in the more modern versions, which have evolved to include chocolate figurines, eye-catching decorations and even children’s characters.

In Catalonia and the Valencian Community it is customary for the godfather to give his godchild an Easter mona de Pascua on Easter Monday.

Isabel Soriano, Sales and Marketing Office Coordinator at Quadratia

7. Typical Easter sweets in Spain

As well as the Easter mona, there are other sweets that are always on the tables of Spanish families at Easter. Here is a small selection to make your mouth water:

• Fritters.
• Pestiños.
• Torrijas or fried milk.
• Panquemados.
• Flakes.
• Doughnuts.
• Rubiols and crespells.
• Fried flowers.

Bonus track: the Easter bunnies

Although it is not a strictly Spanish tradition, the celebration of the Easter Bunny is becoming increasingly popular in our country. Its origins date back to ancient Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, where this animal was a symbol of fertility and rebirth, closely linked to the arrival of spring.

In the 18th century, German immigrants brought to America the tradition of the Osterhase, a rabbit who rewarded children with decorated eggs for good behaviour. Over time, this custom merged with local celebrations and evolved into the classic chocolate egg hunt that we know and enjoy today in many parts of the world.