Easter Floats

Easter Floats

Steps of Holy Week in Spain

The Steps are works of religious imagery that are normally held during Holy Week to commemorate the different events that we celebrate every day. On Palm Sunday we celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, on Holy Thursday we remember the celebration of the Last Supper of Jesus and the twelve disciples, on Good Friday we commemorate the Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, on Holy Saturday we we prepare for the Resurrection of Christ with the Easter Vigil ceremony, On Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday we remember with joy the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ...

In Spain there are a total of 24 Holy Week celebrations considered Festivals of International Tourist Interest. One of the greatest distinctions that any type of celebration can achieve. The conditions to achieve this distinction are very strict, among many other considerations, the beauty of the steps of Holy Week, the roots of the tradition in the community, the historical background, etc...

The Holy Week processions that have reached the rank of Festival of International Tourist Interest in Spain are: Holy Week in Cuenca (1980) Holy Week in Malaga (1980) Holy Week in Seville (1980) Holy Week in Valladolid (1980) Holy Week Week in Zamora (1985) Holy Week in León (2002) Holy Week in Salamanca (2003) Holy Week in Cartagena (2005) Holy Week in Lorca (2007) Holy Week in Hellín (2007) Holy Week in Medina de Rioseco (2009) Week Holy Week in Granada (2009) Holy Week in Orihuela (2010) Holy Week in Murcia (2011) Holy Week in Cáceres (2011) Holy Week in Medina del Campo (2011) Holy Week in Crevillente (2011) Holy Week in Palencia (2012) Holy Week in Viveiro (2013) Holy Week in Ferrol (2014) Holy Week in Bajo Aragón (2014) Holy Week in Zaragoza (2014) Holy Week in Ávila (2014) Holy Week in Toledo (2014). Holy Week in Valladolid was the first to achieve such a distinction.

All the Holy Week celebrations that we have mentioned are of paramount importance, but if we have to talk about a specific city, Seville is still the Spanish population with the largest number of participants and brotherhoods.

Steps of Holy Week in Seville

According to estimates, around 69 penitential brotherhoods participate in Holy Week in Seville , in which some 200,000 brothers are registered, almost a third of the population of Seville.

In addition to the participants, the steps of Holy Week in Seville must be highlighted, due to their antiquity and beauty, they have gained international fame:

• The passage of Holy Week of the Great Power.
• The passage of Holy Week of the Virgin Macarena of the Brotherhood of Hope of Macarena.
• The passage of Holy Week of Jesus of Health of the Brotherhood of the Gypsies.
• The Holy Week passage of Our Lady of Hope , also known by the name of Esperanza de Triana.
• Seville has many other steps of Holy Week that constitute a great heritage for the brotherhoods, brotherhoods and, of course, for all of Seville.

To realize the importance of Holy Week in Seville , and the steps that process through the streets of Seville, we only have to compare it with others. In Holy Week in Valladolid, for example, there are 20 penitential brotherhoods, each with its own Holy Week Steps, in which approximately 11,000 brotherhoods participate.

The Holy Week celebrations that have been declared of international tourist interest bring together approximately 575 Brotherhoods. In Spain there is no unified register of all the brotherhoods. On many occasions, the Registry of Religious Entities of the Ministry of Justice is used, where around 3,300 brotherhoods and fraternities with Catholic recognition appear. This data, although not exact, allows us to understand the importance of the processions and steps of Holy Week.