La Semana Santa
Spain's most solemn and spectacular religious festival — a week of candle-lit processions, ornate floats and centuries-old tradition, at its most famous in Seville.
What is La Semana Santa?
A week of processions
Held in the week before Easter, Semana Santa (‘Holy Week’) is Spain's most important religious festival. Across the country — and most famously in Seville — religious brotherhoods (hermandades) carry huge, beautifully decorated floats through the streets in solemn processions.
Pasos and nazarenos
Each paso bears a sculpture of Christ or the Virgin Mary and can weigh over a tonne, carried by hidden bearers (costaleros). They are followed by hooded penitents called nazarenos and by brass bands, sometimes broken by a spontaneous saeta — a raw, flamenco-style lament sung from a balcony.
Faith and spectacle
Dating back centuries, Semana Santa blends deep religious devotion with extraordinary public spectacle. For many Spaniards it is the emotional heart of the year, drawing huge crowds whether they are believers or simply moved by the atmosphere.
“La Semana Santa une la devoción religiosa y el espectáculo: pasos, música y emoción por las calles.”
At a glance
Find it on the map
How to talk & write about it
This festival is ideal for Theme 2: Popular culture (Spanish customs & festivals). Use it in the photo-card discussion (Paper 2) and your ~90-word writing (Paper 4).
Key vocabulary — tap a card to hear it
Model sentences (build up the tenses)
- PresentLa Semana Santa se celebra en toda España la semana antes de Pascua.Holy Week is celebrated all over Spain in the week before Easter.
- PresentLas hermandades llevan pasos enormes por las calles en procesión.The brotherhoods carry huge floats through the streets in procession.
- OpinionMe parece impresionante por el ambiente, aunque es muy solemne.I find it impressive because of the atmosphere, although it is very solemn.
- PastDe pequeño iba a ver las procesiones con mi familia.As a child I used to go and watch the processions with my family.
- FutureEl año que viene me gustaría ver la Semana Santa de Sevilla.Next year I would like to see Holy Week in Seville.
Structure a strong answer — reveal the models
La Semana Santa se celebra en toda España la semana antes de Pascua.
Holy Week is celebrated all over Spain in the week before Easter.
Las hermandades llevan pasos enormes por las calles en procesión.
The brotherhoods carry huge floats through the streets in procession.
Me parece impresionante por el ambiente, aunque es muy solemne.
I find it impressive because of the atmosphere, although it is very solemn.
De pequeño iba a ver las procesiones con mi familia. El año que viene me gustaría ver la Semana Santa de Sevilla.
As a child I used to go and watch the processions with my family. Next year I would like to see Holy Week in Seville.
Examiner tips
- Photo card: open with en la foto hay… / se ve a…, then say what people do and wear, then give an opinion.
- Justify everything: use porque, ya que, creo que, me parece que.
- Show off tenses: add a past (antes… / de pequeño…) and a future/conditional (me gustaría…).
- Connectives: además, sin embargo, por eso, aunque.
Test yourself
Four quick questions — tap an answer to check it.
1. When is Semana Santa?
2. What are the ornate floats called?
3. Which city is most famous for it?
4. What kind of festival is it?