Holy week celebrations in Spain
Each Easter the Spanish celebrate Holy Week in spectacular style. This national holiday draws tourists to Spain from across the globe. Each Spanish province and city celebrates Holy Week, or Semana Santa in its own unique way, with the grandest celebrations taking place throughout the Andalucian region.
Whether you are of a religious persuasion or not, you cannot help but be moved by the mass processions, music and wafting smell of incense that penetrate the city streets. It is also very much a time for family, and everyone takes to the streets to witness the parades and to party into the wee small hours.
Traditonally each church in every city creates a float or series of floats, each depicting a scene from the death and resurrection of Christ. These floats, often vast in scale, are garnished with thousands of flowers and jewels by the churchwomen. They are then paraded through the streets each day, often carried by teams of hundreds of men, before returning home to their church each night.
The floats are followed by brass bands who play solemn dirges as the floats slowly make their circular city tours. Anyone is welcome to join in the procession which includes children dressed in hooded cloaks, carrying large candles and incense burners.
All of these elements combine to make a unique and sacred experience. It is not unusual to witness grown men crying in the streets as they follow the procession. But anyone is welcome to join in, and many non-religious Spanish natives and tourists enjoy not just the processions, but the buzzing night life that occurs after the floats are safely returned to their churches.
The streets are filled with food stalls during Semana Santa. Here you will find traditional Spanish sweets, candy, cakes and pastries, as well as savoury fare. The restaurants and bars are teeming with people, often spilling out into the street, and a real party atmosphere pervades.
If you would like to see the Semana Santa processions in all their glory, Andalucia, and most notably Seville, traditionally host the biggest celebrations. The celebrations take place during the last week of lent, and further details and dates can be found online. You will find flight prices are very reasonable at this time of year, prior to the peak summer season, so this makes the perfect break for those on budget.
If you are looking to keep your holiday costs down, then look out for cheap airport transfers too. Taxis, trains and coaches can be expensive and can add considerably to your travel spending. Look out for cheaper airport transport services like Easybus. Serving London airports all year round, tickets can be bought via their website for 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