Easter in Spain

Hi all

Not sure if this has been covered before but I wanted to know if spain 'shuts down' for easter. I think I remember reading somewhere that the spanish regard easter as a very important holiday and do literally treat it as such, restuarants, bars, shops etc all close for the entire break. Was looking to go out there over easter but if I cant get a pint or treat the missus to her usual break away from the kitchen may have to reconsider!!!    Can anyone enlighten me please?

cheers hobby

hobby, we did a small article on this a while back.  Take a look:

www.eyeonspain.com/spain-magazine/easter-in-spain.aspx

Hi Justin

Just seen hubbys' thread and your reply, had a peek but doesnt really say whether anything stays open, although if all the locals attend the parades etc I assume that means they shut up shop, so to speak?

thanks, Jackie

Carole in Almoradi tells me that Good Friday - everything closed, Easter Saturday - back to normal (and the market is on as per usual)

Steve.

Here's a link to ALL the bank holidays in Spain.

Hope this helps,

http://www.bank-holidays.com/holidays_2007_58.htm

kind regards,

Thanks Fibby , printing it  right now! I

jill

Thanks Fibby too, very helpful (thanks for your p.m., you're more than welcome, glad you made the right decision).

Jackie x

Most welcome Jackie,

Thanks & kind regards,

Hi Smiley

As you're in the same region as us, are there any specific dates over the easter break that we should be aware of?  Thanks very much,

Jackie

Last year we were in Torre del Marr on Palm Sunday where the locals re-enacted Jesus arriving with the cross.

The week before Easter is known as Semana Santa - Holy Week.  Most towns have parades on Good Friday.  Malaga certainly does - I understand the statue of the Virgin Mary takes up to 200 people to carry it.  Can't help with specific events west of Malaga, our village lies to the east.

Events in our village - Riogordo - start around 11 a.m. when members of the Brotherhoods collect the three statues from the church. Each one is carried by 30 -50 people round the village up to the Parc del la tres cruz at the top of the village.  There they rest for a while before returning the statues to the church.

One thing to mention is that the locals dress up in their Sunday best – like here 40-50 years ago.  The first year I went to watch wearing jeans and felt very out of place

After a short siesta, the villagers - around 400 - of them stage a Passion Play, El Paso, on the village football ground - truly spectacular.  This usually starts at 4 / 4.30 p.m. and goes on until 7 / 7.30 p.m.  Unfortunately I don't speak fluent Spanish but a friend who does says the dialogue is wonderful - all spoken in 'old' Spanish.  Probably nearest example would be our Shakespearian English.  Several coaches bring visitors from far and wide to the village.  The play is repeated on Saturday afternoon (but not the processions). 

I have experienced it when at the start of the play it has been burning hot but when the sun goes down it can turn very, very cold. So prepare for both extremes.

I have been told the statues are taken out again late in the evening when fireworks are let off.  Unfortunately I have not experienced this first hand because the first year there we knew nothing about the evening 'do' and last year it poured with rain in the evening so that part of the proceedings had to be cancelled.

There may be other villages that stage a similar afternoon event but I've not heard of one.

I have many pictures of previous years' events if anyone wants to PM me.  Alternatively there are several websites relating to the village - just put in google search: Semana Santa Riogordo or something along those lines.

Sounds a really wonderful experience. We must try to get out to Spain next easter as we hear so much about the festivities.

Mountie, your dog avatar is GORGEOUS ! Those eyes, don't you just  them ?

Janice 

To Crackers,

I lived in Arroyo for 10 years so I saw many Easter celebrations.  It is the most religious week in Spain and is taken very seriously.  It is,as Mountie said ,called Samana Santa and starts on the Sunday before( Palm Sunday) with a procession around the town, village or city - they all have their own version of the events but understandably in Malaga it is the most lavish.  Every day in Holy Week in Malaga there is a procession from one of the brotherhoods called Penas and they are associated with different churchs in the city.   They all have different statues of Christ or the Virgin Mary and parade these through the streets.  They are wonderful,loads of gold,silver and intricate carving on the float which is covered in flowers.  Good Friday is the absolute best - it is very emotional even if you are not Catholic  and it takes hours as they stop every so often as someone sings a plantive song.   These floats are supported by usually about 200 or so local men who carry it around the village supported by the penatants who wear the hoods and robes and are oftern barefoot.  A lot of famous Malaguenos take part, I know Antonio Banderas does as I've seen him.  One of the most famous events is the Passion play in Rio Gordo that Mountie described so well,

 As for the Arroyo procession - it normally starts about 9.00 at night from the Church by the railway station and takes hours to go round the village finishing 2 or 3 in the morning, so you should catch it somewhere along the route.  There is also a smaller version of the Passion in Benalmadena Pueblo which I think is on Maunday Thursday but I'm not sure. Hope this helps. Wish I was there at Easter.

Hi Linnie,

Just had to say what an excellent post that was from you!

So informative and extremely helpful for anyone interested in the Easter celebrations in Spain.

Wish I was here too, but will be in dreary UK!

Thanks again.

Kind regards,

Thanks Fibby for your kind words.  I'm glad it was interesting and helpful to you - that's what this forum's all about isn't it.   It was a trip down memory lane for me, I'm just sorry I won't be in Spain until June, then it's the local feria and that's another story!!

Thanks for all your information as well, though I don't get to post that much I try to read as much as I can and you and Jeansis are always an inspiration.

take care

regards.