Every year between March and April, art, religiosity, and devotion flood the streets of numerous cities and towns in Spain to commemorate the death of Christ on the Cross during the celebration of Holy Week. For nearly 10 days, the processions organized by various brotherhoods and confraternities unite faith and tradition while proudly displaying an intangible cultural heritage that, in certain parts of the peninsula, has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest. Holy Week 2023 will be celebrated in every corner of Spain from April 2 to 9, although, as always, some regions will experience it more intensely than others. In this article, we present Holy Week in Andalusia, Castilla y León, and Valencia, three places in Spain where tradition is lived with great intensity but in different ways. If you don’t want to miss the celebration of the moments of the Passion, we offer you the Holy Week offers from Hoteles Silken, spread across all Spanish provinces, so you can enjoy the festivities with the utmost comfort.
Holy Week in Andalusia
Holy Week in Andalusia is one of the main cultural phenomena of the region and, as such, takes place with fervor in hundreds of towns, although with a specific center of gravity in capitals such as Seville and Malaga. One of the most striking images of Holy Week in Andalusia is undoubtedly the processions, in which brotherhoods take to the streets carrying thrones weighing thousands of kilograms, representing the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. The parades always begin on Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and end on Resurrection Sunday, which marks the end of Holy Week.
Holy Week in Seville 2023
Holy Week in Seville is one of the most impressive in Spain, with dozens of confraternities that march day and night on a unique route. These usually gather thousands of people in a very solemn atmosphere. Some brotherhoods adopt a more serious tone, while others hold more festive processions. This year, Seville’s Holy Week will be celebrated like in other cities, from April 2 to 9. If you want to attend, you should know that the best day to see the processions in Seville is Good Friday, when they march from morning until dawn.
Holy Week in Castilla y León
The Holy Week of Castilla y León is one of the cultural and popular manifestations with the greatest tourist appeal in the region. It has a more serious and solemn tone than in other parts of Spain, as the processions take place in deep silence only interrupted by drums and trumpets. Since the 16th century, popular expectation gathers in León to follow the nearly thirty processions organized by its 16 brotherhoods. Although less flamenco than in the south of the peninsula, these are always accompanied by concerts and announcements, and their main attraction is the quality of the sculptures.
Best processions of Holy Week in Castilla y León
With brotherhoods dating back to the Middle Ages, two of the most important and best-attended events of the Holy Week of Burgos are the Via Crucis on Holy Monday from the Church of San Esteban to the slope of the Castle, as well as the dance of the saint performed on Resurrection Sunday. Characterized by the artistic value and careful details of the polychrome wooden sculptures by Gregorio Fernández or Juan de Juni and by austere musical accompaniment, the Holy Week of Valladolid is perhaps one of the most sober and silent in Spanish territory. For its part, the Holy Week of Salamanca is the religious event par excellence and, unlike the rest, has a marked university character there with events such as the University Offices on Holy Thursday in the chapel of the old university.
Seafaring Holy Week in Valencia
Since the celebrations were originally started by fishermen and sailors from the maritime neighborhoods, the Holy Week of Valencia cannot be understood without the role of the sea in the celebrations, which is why it is popularly called the Seafaring Holy Week. Currently, more than 30 brotherhoods participate in the festival, which also has unique features such as the custom of throwing old dishes from balconies during the Night of Glory or the parades of neighbors dressed as biblical characters. The intimate relationship between religion and the idiosyncrasy of the seafaring towns makes the celebrations of the Seafaring Holy Week special. Don’t miss the opportunity to live this experience and come to the Holy Week of Valencia 2023! Whether in Seville, León, Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca or Valencia, the central and urban Hoteles Silken offer you comfort, rest, and the best prices for your Holy Week holidays. Book your stay in one of our hotels in the main destinations of Spain, and celebrate Holy Week 2023 with all the comforts of a Silken accommodation. We look forward to seeing you!
