Easter traditions in Spain

It is 9 days long. We celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. It starts with Palm Sunday commemorating the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is celebrated by the blessing and distribution of palm branches representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Christ as he rode into Jerusalem. For Christianity, every day is important. But, as far as we are concerned, the most popular days are Holy Thursday and Holy Friday because the best known biblical quotes were developed in these days. For example, the Last Supper or the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Spain is a very devout country even though in Andalusia Easter is lived more dramatically. People decorate their house with symbols and objects of this period, and there is typical food.

They take to the street biblical characters from different important moments of Jesus Christ's life that are carried by people throughout the Holy Week. The celebration of Holy Week regarding popular piety relies almost exclusively on the processions of the brotherhoods or fraternities. These associations have their origins in the Middle Age, but a number of them were created during the Baroque Period, inspired by the Counter reformation and also during the 20th and 21st centuries. The membership is usually open to any Catholic person and family tradition is an important element to become a member or "brother". Every brotherhood carries magnificent "Pasos" or foats with sculptures that depict diferent scenes from the gospels related to the Passion of Christ or the Sorrows of Virgin. Usually, the "pasos" are accompanied by Marching bands performing "Marchas procesionales" a specifc type of compositions, devoted to the images and fraternities.

A common feature in Spain is the almost general usage of the nazareno or penitential robe for some of the participants in the processions. This garment consists of a tunic, a hood with conical tip (capirote) used to conceal the face of the wearer, and sometimes a cloak. The exact colors and forms of these robes depend on the particular procession. The robes were widely used in the medieval period for penitents, who could demonstrate their penance while still masking their identity