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Holy Week is the period between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It is the period of most intense activity in the Church, commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It starts by remembering the triumphant entrance of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, on the back of a donkey. The Gospels describe how the people formed a passageway to let him through and carpeted his path with small branches. Nowadays, in the town of Elche in Alicante, “The Palm procession”, commemorating this date, sees the biggest turnout of Holy Week. Tens of thousands of Elche inhabitants walk the main streets of the city centre, accompanying the crown of Jesus the Triumphant, carrying the white palm fronds made by craftsmen from the city using palm branches from the Elche palm grove.

Maundy Thursday is important because it commemorates the Last Supper that Jesus shared with the apostles, already aware that he was to be arrested the following morning. As such, Seville celebrates this day with particular devotion. The brotherhoods of Christ the Almighty, the Macarena, the Christ of the Gypsies and the Hope of Triana, take to the city’s main streets on the Thursday night, accompanied by hundreds of penitents with statues carried by brethren, chanting prayers as each statue passes.

On Good Friday, Holy Week reaches its sublimest point: the moment of the Passion of Christ. Jesus of Nazareth walked to the cross (Via Crucis), where he was subsequently crucified and died. During this day, Murcia, adorned and solemn, like many other towns in Spain, sees processions in the street. This celebration is marked by the established tradition of its religious floats, such as that of the “morados.” Salzillo’s sculptures also have great artistic value.

Easter Saturday is a day of mourning, silence and hope. According to the bible, on this day, Jesus rested in his tomb, whilst his mother, Mary, watched over him. The Church relives this day of the Virgin Mary’s suffering, bravery and hope with various liturgies. The most important Christian celebration of the year is held on this night; it is the Easter Vigil. Valladolid celebrates this day with the offering of grief to the virgin and the “Transfer of Reclining Christ”, sculpted by Gregorio Fernández between 1631 and 1636.

Easter Sunday is the day on which Jesus rose from his tomb. It is said that at dawn, three women went to the place where Jesus was buried and they saw that his body was not there. When an angel tells them that he has risen from the dead, the women go running to find the Virgin and the Apostles to give them the good news. Peter and John run to the tomb and see the bandages on the floor. The grief for the death of their Lord turns into immense happiness which, nowadays, is marked by a day of hope. 

In certain Spanish cities, Holy Week lasts until Easter Monday. In reality, this celebration is not part of Holy Week but is the first day of Easter Week. The regions that celebrate Easter Monday are Navarre, the Basque Country, Valencia and Catalonia. In Catalonia, for example, it is traditional for godparent to give their godchildren chocolate or Easter cakes.

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