19 Egg-cellent Easter In Spain Facts That You Will Absolutely Adore

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 06, 2023 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Dec 10, 2021
Amazing Easter in Spain facts for everyone.
Age: 3-18
Read time: 7.3 Min

So how do people celebrate Easter in Spain?

On Easter Sunday, families will normally gather for a large lunch or supper, with a feast of seafood and occasionally a sopa de ajo (garlic soup) with an egg baked in the center. Although you may be noticing more chocolates and bunnies around Spain, they are not the traditional Easter delicacies.

Easter celebrations are celebrated by Catholics all over the world. It is one of the greatest and most important festivals of the year in Spain. When is Easter celebrated in Spain? Depending on the year, Semana Santa and Easter are normally in late March or early April. The festivities of Spain generally begin on Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and extend till Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday). Also, the largest parades take place on Good Friday and Maundy Thursday. Torrijas is the finest Semana Santa dish in Seville. These delectable delicacies are essentially Spain's version of French toast, with bread soaked in honey, eggs, and white wine before being gently deep-fried in olive oil.

El Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, is the opening day of Holy Week. This is a commemoration of the day Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. El Viernes Santo (Good Friday), commemorates the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is generally commemorated with fasting and this is also considered as a day of repentance for evil deeds.

Holy Week and Easter are important religious holidays celebrated in Mexico. Semana Santa in Catalonia has amazing and unusual celebrations. Each town celebrates the event in their way, though smashing cascarones, colored egg shells loaded with confetti, over friends and family is ubiquitous.

Spain is well-renowned for its Holy Week customs, often known as Semana Santa. The religious processions of the brotherhoods or fraternities are nearly entirely responsible for the popular piety of Holy Week.

On Good Friday, Catholics in Spain refrain from eating meat in favor of fish and vegetables. On Good Friday, soup with garlic and a stew of fish, spinach, and chickpeas are popular dishes.

For more similar content, you can also visit Seville Spain facts and valencia Spain facts.

Easter and Other Festivals

Notably, Easter is also related to the Jewish festival of Passover, as well as the Old Testament's account of the Jewish escape from Egypt. These connections are evident in the Last Supper, which took place the night before Jesus' arrest, as well as the horrors Jesus underwent following his arrest.

However, Easter isn't the only religious celebration happening this spring in Spain. Here are a few other festivals celebrated in Spain, apart from Easter. Semana Santa, Malaga August Fair, Fellas of Valencia, San Fermin, Feria De Abril, La Tamborrada, and many more.

Semana Santa Festivities in Spain

What does Semana Santa mean in English? The meaning of Semana Santa in English is the week before Easter. Also, known as Passion Week. One of the religious, traditional holidays festivals in Spain is the Semana Santa. It takes hold in cities around Spain throughout Easter week. The Easter celebrations and commemoration of Christ's passion are known as La Semana Santa, sometimes known as La Semana Mayor (Major Week). In Spain, a celebration of Easter can be traced back to when the church of Catholics, in the 16th century wanted to make the passion of Christ, a celebration where ordinary people can not only be a part of it but also fully comprehend and engage in.

Semana Santa, as we know it now, originated in the 16th century. It was the Catholic Church's concept, as a method to communicate the tale of Christ's Passion to non-religious people. Throughout the week, many processions tell elements of Jesus's resurrection and crucifixion stories. Semana Santa is a week-long event held in towns throughout Spain, mainly in Andalucia. Thousands of people participate in processions as giant floats holding holy sculptures are taken to the church bells during the event.

Spain has one of the most traditional Semana Santa festivities. Semana Santa begins on Sunday, 10th April, and ends on Sunday, 17th April.

Because more than half of Spain's population is Roman Catholic, one of the most important religious festivities in the region is Semana Santa.

Easter in Spain is locally known as Pascua.

Holy Week in Salamanca

Salamanca's Holy Week is the most prominent religious procession in the city of Salamanca, Spain. It is observed throughout the week preceding Easter day (Holy Week among Christians). During Holy Week, 18 fraternities hold 24 processions of pasos, which are floats of wooden sculptures recounting episodes from Christ's Passion or depictions of the Virgin Mary in mourning. Several church members march in the parades. The activities draw tens of thousands of people, both residents and tourists.

In 1988, UNESCO proclaimed Salamanca as a World Heritage Site. The historic center provides a distinctive and appealing backdrop for this festival. During Holy Week, we sing the Saeta. Around Holy Week processions in some southern Spanish villages, people will sing the saeta, an emotional religious lament of Jesus Christ's suffering and death.

As of 2013, there is a brotherhood list that performs daily penance.

Holiday Traditions in Madrid

The holiday season is marked by two major days of celebration in the country throughout the world: Christmas and Special Holidays. In Spain, however, the festivities begin on 24th December and continue until January 6th. Let us learn about Madrid and its customs.

It all begins on Xmas Eve, also known as Nochebuena in the Spanish city. This is a night when families gather to eat mostly seafood and drink cava, the Spanish equivalent of Sparkling. Some Spanish families have accepted the worldwide Santa Claus custom, which implies that children will receive gifts either on the night of the 24th or the next day. Historically, January 6 is the day for giving gifts in Spain.

Christmas Eve: On December 25, Madrilenos (those from Madrid) celebrate Christmas Day by reuniting with their families to eat a massive supper of roast lamb. On New Year's Eve, crowds gather to celebrate as the clock strikes midnight. The most popular location for this event is Puerta del Sol in Centro, a square with a great view of the huge clock at Real Casa de Correos. On January 5, people and children go to the streets to see the Three Wise Men procession, which winds through Madrid's principal streets. Children like attending the procession not only because of the bright clothes and music but rather because the Wise Men distribute candy. January 6 remembers the finale of the Spanish culture holiday season. This is the day on which Spaniards celebrate Christmas, a Christian festival commemorating two remarkable events: the visit of the Three Wise Men and Jesus' baptism. This is known as Dia de Los Reyes, and it is considered the formal day for gift-giving. In Madrid, the Christmas season is also a time for sweets. A broad nougat bar, turrón, composed of sugar, honey, and almonds; polvorones, a squeezed-dusted biscuit produced from butter and almonds; along with a round-shaped pie or pastry stuffed garnished with crystallized fruits, and Spanish custard, are among the most loved traditional sweets during holiday festivities.

Holiday Traditions in Catalonia

One of the great aspects of traveling is the opportunity to learn about other cultures and traditions wherever you go. These customs are strong in Catalonia, one of the Spanish areas that appear to be its country.

If you look at a Catalonian Christmas, you could get the creeps when you see a figure known as the 'Belen' cheerfully performing a 'number two'. There are several interpretations for this youngster on a toilet bowl becoming part of the Christmas decoration: it might be a sign for equality and the notion that God can be with you at all times. During Correfocs, people dress up as demons and rush around while setting off fireworks. These demons are not meant to be reincarnations of evil, but rather cheerful entities who bounce around to the beat of the drums.

Have you always enjoyed dancing? Then you should travel to Barcelona's Cathedral, where residents gather to dance the traditional Catalan 'Sardana'. It's a very quiet dance in which they create a circle to represent brotherhood and in which anybody can join. Traditional horns offer live music.

A calçot is a kind of leek that is only grown in Catalonia. The calçotada is the celebrations that are held when these vegetables are consumed. They are roasted over an open fire, then the black covering is removed and the calçots are dipped in a tasty sauce. They are then eaten like herrings. They devour hundreds of them at times during tournaments.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for easter in Spain facts then why not take a look at tourism in Spain facts or Spanish empire facts.

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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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