March 20th – 27th 2016
The wholy week in Sevilla, in Spain known as the ‘Semana Santa’, is one of the biggest and most famous Easter celebrations in the world. This year it is celebrated from 29th March until 5th April. The whole city is full of people, with more than 50.000 people participating in the processions with more or less 115 different ‘pasos’, the Spanish name for the floats being carried around the streets. These floats are spectacular and each one shows a particular part of the Easter story, theoretically telling the whole story in terms of statues. For many people this celebration has a very traditional and emotional character. All participating people wear characteristic robes and from the balconies one may hear some a capella ‘saetas’, special flamenco songs. The Virgin Mary as well as Jesus Christ are represented in many of the statues and carried around specific routes in the city, until they arrive in the church within a big celebration.
