Holy Week in Spain
annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods
Semana Santa or Holy Week in Spain (Spanish: Semana Santa; Catalan: Setmana Santa; Galician: Semana Santa; Basque: Aste Santua; Asturian: Selmana Santa; Aragonese: Semana Santa) is the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradías) and confraternities that perform penitential processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during Holy Week—the final week of Lent before Easter.
Description
Spain is known especially for its Holy Week traditions or Semana Santa. 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 Ages, but a number of them were created during the Baroque Period, inspired by the Counter-Reformation and also during the 20th and 21st centuries. Membership is usually open to any Catholic person and family tradition is an important element to become a member or "brother" (hermano).
Some major differences between Spanish regions are perceivable in these processions: Holy Week sees its most glamorous celebrations in Andalucía, especially in Jerez de la Frontera, Granada, Málaga and Sevilla, while those of Castilla y León see the more sombre and solemn processions in Zamora, León and Valladolid.
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.
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