Easter in Spain is celebrated as a week long event, filled with food, music and processions in the streets.
In Spain, Easter is celebrated as a week long event called Semana Santa (Holy Week). It’s a time where processions are carried out all across Spain to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Since I live in Granada, which is in the south of Spain, I was able to witness some of the biggest processions across the country, as the south is much more religious compared to the north.
During this week, members of the church dress in long robes and tall, pointed hoods called capirotes and parade through the streets carrying beautifully decorated floats that depict scenes from the Bible. The processions are accompanied by music played by often even school children who play the instruments, and the streets are lit with incense. It’s often also traditional for women to dress all in black and wear a black lace veil called a mantilla, which is held up by a decorative comb called a peineta. This outfit is a sign of mourning and respect for the Virgin Mary and the suffering of Christ.
