Last Updated on April 7, 2015 by
What I didn´t know coming to study abroad in Granada was the importance of Holy Week in Spain. I knew Spain was very Catholic, but little did I know how extravagant Holy Week, or in Spanish “Semana Santa,” festivities are.
In Guatemala these processions are also big and people balance the weight of the giant float on their shoulders. Not in Spain though. Here they have a specific head dress/wrap that allows them to balance the weight on the back of their heads. It’s pretty impressive. You could see people touching the float and blessing themselves; it was an amazing tradition to see!
The processions were every day throughout Holy Week with the largest being both Holy Thursday and Saturday, which I unfortunately missed. After seeing Semana Santa, it is hard to compare it to other religious celebrations because of how grand it was. I would have missed out on an important cultural tradition and learning experience if I hadn’t seen Semana Santa while studying here. And it was all the more special to experience this uniquely Spanish Easter celebration with my family.
