Holy Week is a popular celebration of a religious nature deeply rooted throughout Spain . It takes place during the week before Easter and has occupied an important place in the annual calendar of cities and towns throughout the country for centuries, and Seville is one of the cities in which this tradition has most penetrated. Holy Week in Seville is one of the most spectacular in the world and attracts crowds from all over the world to witness it. In this article we tell you everything you need to know to enjoy them.
What processions to see every day of Holy Week in Seville
Since Friday of Dolores, the more than 70 brotherhoods of the city take their steps to the streets to commemorate the Passion of Christ during Holy Week in Seville. These are the ones you can’t miss
Friday of Sorrows and Holy Saturday
The Sevillian processions begin on the Friday prior to what is the official Holy Week, and in the case of Seville the absolute protagonism of these two days is in the neighborhoods , where the first penance stations are held before taking the official route .
On Friday five brotherhoods take to the streets ( Pino Montano, La Misión, Dulce Nombre, Pasión y Muerte and La Corona ) and on Saturday another five do it: Torreblanca , with the steps of Jesús Cautivo and the Virgen de los Dolores; the Brotherhood of the Miraculous , whose Jewish guard always attracts attention; the Brotherhood of San José Obrero , characterized by its Nazarenes with blue masks; the Brotherhood of Padre Pio , and that of the Divine Forgiveness of Alcosa .
Palm Sunday
As happens in Holy Week in other cities, Palm Sunday is the children’s day par excellence: already on the official route (which passes through the most important points of the city and stops at the Cathedral), there are processions in the morning and most are closed at earlier hours.
The atmosphere in the streets is very familiar and children can enjoy them… And participate in them: especially famous is La Borriquita, in which the little Nazarenes accompany the passage dressed in white.
Other brotherhoods that take out their thrones on Palm Sunday are Jesús Despojado, La Cena, La Paz, La Hiniesta, San Roque, Amargura, La Estrella and El Amor .
Holy Monday
On Holy Monday there are nine Brotherhoods that take their steps to the streets in Holy Week in Seville: El Cautivo, Beso de Judas, Santa Genoveva, Santa Marta, San Gonzalo, Vera Cruz, the Penas de San Vicente and El Museo .
Holy Tuesday
On this occasion there are eight brotherhoods that go out to process throughout the day (the first leaves around 11.30 in the morning and the last closes around 3.30): San Esteban; El Cerro, la Candelaria, San Benito, Dulce Nombre (better known as ” La Bofetá “), Los Javieres, Los Estudiantes and La Santa Cruz .
Holy wednesday
At the equator of Seville’s Holy Week we find six crucified Christs represented in the steps of several of the nine brotherhoods that procession: the Hermandad del Carmen, the Hermandad de la Sed , the Hermandad de San Bernardo, el Buen Fin, la Lanzada , la Brotherhood of the Baratillo, the Christ of Burgos, the Seven Words, and the Bakers .
“La Madrugá” on Holy Thursday, the highlight of Holy Week in Seville
“La Madrugá” takes place, as its name suggests, at dawn from Thursday to Good Friday, during which the most famous and expected processions of the Sevillian night take place.
La Esperanza de Triana ( “La Trianera” ) and La Virgen de la Macarena ( “La Macarena” ) , both from the neighborhoods of the same name; the Brotherhood of the Gypsies ( “Los Gitanos” ), and El Gran Poder (also called “El Señor de Sevilla” ) , as well as other brotherhoods such as El Calvario and El Silencio, walk the streets of Seville accompanied by spectators from all over the world .
At dawn , the steps leave their temples at different times of the night (between 00:00 when the first leaves and 03:00 when the last one) and process for several hours until closing in in the morning (around 6:20 a.m. the first and around 1:00 p.m. the last)
Holy Friday
The arrival of Good Friday marks the entry into the final stretch of Holy Week in Seville, which says goodbye through the front door with two of the most acclaimed processions each year, El Cachorro and La O , accompanied by other brotherhoods such as La Carretería, La Soledad, San Isidoro, Monserrat and the Sagrada Mortaja.
Holy Saturday
There are five processions that go out on the penultimate day of Holy Week in Seville , more sober than the previous days but just as beautiful: the Soledad, the Sun, the Servites, the Trinity and the Holy Burial.
Easter Sunday
The Brotherhood of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is in charge of putting the finishing touch to Holy Week in Seville , with its morning procession from the Church of Santa Marina.
