Celebrating Easter the Spanish way

Our regular contributor Will Alkass compares celebrations in Spain to other traditions

Easter around the world

Although the date of Easter is fixed as the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, it is celebrated on different dates by different Christian denominations; Western churches follow the Gregorian Calendar while the Orthodox churches follow the Julian Calendar. However, these dates do coincide every few years and 2025 was such a year and was the seventeen hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

Easter marks an essential date in the Christian calendar, as aside from the religious significance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ it also represents a celebration of renewal, new birth, community and joy. While the common essence of Easter is about commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the way different cultures embrace this occasion can be diverse and fascinating and the tradition of celebration is often mixed with the original folkloric rituals expressing the spirit of the local nation and revealing individual deeper emotions and particularities not found elsewhere. From flamboyant parades in Brazil to Spain's solemn processions, from Nordic witches to the Holy Fire in Jerusalem, from the rich decoration of Easter eggs in Ukraine to the Eastertide 'spring cleaning' of homes in Russia, from the Papal Easter message in the Vatican and the Pasqua procession in Rome, to the Easter Markets of Germany and the Easter Egg Rolls of the United States, the range and list of traditions goes on and on.

In the United Kingdom, Easter celebrations share many of these features; so you have decorated Easter eggs (nowadays available in chocolate!), Easter bunnies, Easter cards and the famous Hot Cross Buns, as well as other various festivities and recreations.

Hot Cross Buns are eaten on Good Friday and carry a symbolic meaning, where the cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus, the spices represent those used to embalm his body, and the bun marks the end of Lent. Similarly in France, Pâques is celebrated with Easter Egg hunts, Church bell ringing, and giant omelettes at Easter markets in some towns.

In some countries celebratory festivals and carnivals tend to take place before Lent (presumably people getting happy before getting sad!) as in the Nice Carnaval, the famous Rio Carnival, Venice's Carnevale and Germany's Karneval. In Spain the celebrations take place after Easter, with people leaving behind the sadness that precedes Easter.

Easter in Spain

I want to share with you the unique way that Easter is celebrated in Spain, as my wife and I were fortunate to have witnessed these festivities before and after Easter both in various different locations there and at different times.

Lent is the Christian season of penitential preparation before Easter, marked by fasting, prayer and self reflection. In the Western Christianity it begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days, reflecting the forty days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness. Eastern Churches observe a similar period beginning on “Clean Monday”. The tradition of fasting and “hardship” still continues today to varying degrees but can take various forms in different countries, ranging from a full forty-day fast, to a friday-only abstension from certain foods or luxuries.

When it comes both to mourning and to celebrating in style, the Spanish “take the biscuit”! They can boast of many traditional Easter recipes including: Torrijas (spanish style french toast), Mona de Pascua (festive cake), Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup), Pestiños (honey-glazed fritters), Buñuelos (sweet dough balls) and Garbanzos con espinacas ( a savoury dish with chickpeas and spinach).

Holy Week in Spain, "Semana Santa", ends on Easter Saturday. This is followed two weeks later by the Feria, a colourful and joyful festival lasting for a week or two and characterised by street parties, dances, folk singing and horse-drawn carriages, and with ladies and gentlemen dressed in the traditional clothes alongside of course, drinks, tapas and other foods served aplenty. In Seville and in other towns in Andalusia, these celebrations before and after Easter are related to the Easter calendar. However, in other cities and towns in Spain the Feria is often instead connected to other historical events or to the commemoration of local saints.

To the outsider, this duality of penitence and sadness alongside celebration and happiness may seem a bit strange and contradictory; but to the Spanish it's to do with “Duality as Identity”. So, for them it is not contradiction but is complementary and expresses a world-view where suffering and joy coexist, a sense that beauty can be solemn or exuberant, a belief that the community is built both through mourning and through celebration: it is one of the reasons why Spanish culture, and especially the Andalusian soul, feels so alive, so human, and so symbolically rich.

Hooded 'penitents' at a Semana Santa procession

The "Semana Santa" or Holy Week is celebrated traditionally in Spanish-speaking countries and is believed to have originated in the 16^th century. In Spain it happens both in major cities and in little towns, with each offering something different and characteristically rooted in the local region's history and tradition. One of the most holy aspects of these traditions are the processions (procesiones) which take place throughout the holy week. These feature elaborate decorated floats (pasos) depicting scenes from the bible.

Penitents carrying the float of Jesus through the streets

Participants, known as penitents, wear traditional robes and hoods covering their faces as they carry heavy floats through the crowded streets, portraying the Passion of the Christ and the Stations of the Cross and accompanied by religious music, drum beats and incense. Each procession is organised by a different brotherhood (cofradia) providing interesting local and regional variations. 

Traditional foods are also served during these processions.

"La Feria da Abril" : the April Fair of Seville

After the solemn and sad week of the Semana Santa, the people of Saville treat themselves to a

The main gate to the Feria in Seville

well-deserved week of relaxing and getting merry, where they can “let their hair down” and celebrate in a most remarkable and exuberant way. Preparations take a long time with big marquees erected over a wide area. Some marquees are “private” hosting big families or staff of companies, but others are open to the public. Spanish people are so friendly and hospitable that after few glasses of Rebujito (a mixture of Fino Sherry and lemon soda served with ice) you can't help but take part in the jubilation, chatting, dancing, drinking and eating. Be careful though, if you fancy a go at the Flamenco dance: best to try it at home beforehand to see if you have got what it takes!

Any attempt to dress up for the occasion will be appreciated, if not for the full monty of hiring a flamenco dress for women or the short suit “Traje de Corto” for men then just simply donning a black hat or wearing a flower in your hair. That way you will blend better with the crowd!

 Fashion parade and Flamenco Dancing at the Easter Feria

A horse-drawn carriage at the Easter Feria in Seville

 

 A VERY HAPPY EASTER TO ALL !    

Christian Unity

This article is dedicated to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated each year from 18^th to 25^th January, an occasion intended not to underscore differences but to foster closer ties among the diverse traditions that shape the celebration of Easter. It seeks to affirm that the spiritual wealth of Christianity is most fully revealed when its various practices converge in mutual respect and shared devotion. It is a time when Christians pray together for the unity of the Church and reflect on Jesus’ wish that his followers be one. This year’s theme came from Ephesians 4:13: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”

The World Council of Churches organizes this observance, which brings together many Christian traditions: the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Old Catholic Church, the Moravian Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, the Mennonite Churches, the Methodist Churches, the Reformed Churches, the Baptist Churches, and the Pentecostal Churches. The Roman Catholic Church also takes part as an observer. It is a moment for Christians to join in prayer, reflection, and the celebration of their shared faith.