Semana Santa, also known as Holy Week, is a religious celebration held throughout Spain culminating in Easter Monday. In Seville, Andalusia, spectacular processions take place over 8 days beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Monday, featuring brotherhoods dressed in robes carrying crosses, candles, and floats depicting religious scenes being paraded through the city accompanied by marching bands. Other Easter traditions include wearing new clothes on Palm Sunday and women dressing in black mantillas on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to mourn Christ's death.

1. SEMANA SANTA Easter in Spain

2. Semana Santa “ Holy Week” Celebrated throughout Spain but the most spectacular celebrations are in Sevilla in Andalucia.

3. Semana Santa Begins on Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and ends on Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday) Celebrated with 8 days of processions (cofradias) through the city

4. Semana Santa The Procession starts with the Cruz de Guía

5. Semana Santa The cross is followed by the brotherhoods – nazarenos – dressed in tunics, hoods and masks and carrying candles and banners

6. Semana Santa Each brotherhood carries 2 floats – huge religious scenes carved out of wood The floats are carried by the “costaleros”

7. Semana Santa One float depicts Christ The other depicts the Virgin Mary

9. Semana Santa The procession is followed by marching bands

10. Semana Santa Other Easter traditions include: Wearing new clothes on Palm Sunday On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, women dress in the black “traje de mantilla” – to represent the mourning of Christ’s death Foods eaten include Torrijas and pestihos