https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Easter week is celebrated in Spain like nowhere else on earth, and Spaniards take their Holy Week traditions very seriously, even if some of them - to the outsider - seem a little bit bonkers. https://www.thelocal.es/20200410/seven-weird-traditions-celebrated-at-easter-in-spain Fri, 10 Apr 2020 12:37:52 +0200 seven-weird-traditions-celebrated-at-easter-in-spain Tourists could be forgiven for gasping in horror at the first sight of the white hoods marching towards them at one of Spain's Easter processions, argues Ilaria Grasso Macola. https://www.thelocal.es/20190408/capirotes-are-a-symbol-of-penance-not-of-right-wing-extremism Mon, 08 Apr 2019 09:16:07 +0200 capirotes-are-a-symbol-of-penance-not-of-right-wing-extremism Every year, the small Catalan town of Verges celebrates Easter in a unique way - the hair-raising 'Danza de la Muerte', or Dance of Death. https://www.thelocal.es/20260401/dance-of-death-spanish-holy-weeks-spookiest-celebration Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:01 +0200 dance-of-death-spanish-holy-weeks-spookiest-celebration Semana Santa or Holy Week is a big deal in Spain. The holiday even comes with its own set of special Spanish words you'll hear over and over again during this time. https://www.thelocal.es/20230406/an-a-to-z-of-the-spanish-semana-santa-vocabulary-you-need-to-know Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:22:18 +0200 an-a-to-z-of-the-spanish-semana-santa-vocabulary-you-need-to-know Semana Santa or Holy Week is held in Spain during the run-up to Easter Sunday. Celebrations and parades take place all over the country, but there are some cities that go all out. https://www.thelocal.es/20230321/best-cities-in-spain-to-see-the-semana-santa-processions Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:16:41 +0100 best-cities-in-spain-to-see-the-semana-santa-processions Want to do something over the Easter holidays but keen to avoid all the religious fervour? The Local gives you a rundown of the best alternative Easter travel plans. https://www.thelocal.es/20190403/ten-offbeat-spanish-easter-destinations Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:40:02 +0200 ten-offbeat-spanish-easter-destinations Torrential rains forced the cancellation of famed Good Friday religious processions through Seville, leaving many faithful in tears in the southern Spanish city. https://www.thelocal.es/20240329/torrential-rain-in-spain-forces-cancellation-of-famed-good-friday-parades Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:37:17 +0100 torrential-rain-in-spain-forces-cancellation-of-famed-good-friday-parades Operación Salida is Spain's big Easter exodus when people flee the cities and drive to the countryside or the coast for their holidays. Here's what you need to know if you want to avoid traffic jams and other problems on the road. https://www.thelocal.es/20230331/operacion-salida-what-to-know-about-driving-during-spains-easter-getaway Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:37:32 +0200 operacion-salida-what-to-know-about-driving-during-spains-easter-getaway Spain's colourful Holy Week celebrations begin on Sunday, featuring centuries-old processions of the faithful carrying flower-covered floats topped with statues of Christ or the Virgin Mary that draw huge crowds. https://www.thelocal.es/20230402/spain-begins-centuries-old-easter-processions Sun, 02 Apr 2023 15:27:53 +0200 spain-begins-centuries-old-easter-processions While religious orders started allowing women to carry floats in Spain's famous Semana Santa processions 30 years ago, female "costaleros" - as float bearers are known - remain a minority who still face resistance. https://www.thelocal.es/20220412/were-strong-enough-women-bear-weight-of-easter-ritual-in-changing-spain Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:44:15 +0200 were-strong-enough-women-bear-weight-of-easter-ritual-in-changing-spain With Easter processions cancelled for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, Spain's colourful Holy Week marches made their eagerly awaited return to the streets on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.es/20220411/as-covid-restrictions-end-spains-easter-traditions-are-resurrected Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:26:43 +0200 as-covid-restrictions-end-spains-easter-traditions-are-resurrected Working with rich fabrics, fine lace and flowers, gay stylists have long played a key role in dressing the Virgin Mary figures carried through the streets of southern Spain during Holy Week. But their participation comes at a price: silence about their sexual orientation. https://www.thelocal.es/20220408/how-gay-stylists-play-a-key-role-during-holy-week-in-southern-spain Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:02:40 +0200 how-gay-stylists-play-a-key-role-during-holy-week-in-southern-spain The data from Spain's Health Ministry has been showing a steady increase in coronavirus cases since mid-March, however Health Emergency Chief Fernando Simón has said that infections could be contained as a “small wave”. https://www.thelocal.es/20210401/spain-sees-rise-in-covid-19-cases-before-easter Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:53:26 +0200 spain-sees-rise-in-covid-19-cases-before-easter There’s a lot of Covid-19 news in Spain in the lead up to the Easter break, with everything from restrictions to infection rates deciding the Spanish government’s next moves. Here are six key facts you need to know about the current state of affairs. https://www.thelocal.es/20210326/coronavirus-in-spain-a-round-up-of-the-most-important-facts-ahead-of-easter Fri, 26 Mar 2021 14:17:53 +0100 coronavirus-in-spain-a-round-up-of-the-most-important-facts-ahead-of-easter Spain's 17 regions have in principal agreed to close their borders during the week leading up to Easter Sunday, but no official deal has yet been reached and the Canaries may stay open. https://www.thelocal.es/20210305/spains-regions-are-open-to-closing-borders-over-easter Fri, 05 Mar 2021 11:02:56 +0100 spains-regions-are-open-to-closing-borders-over-easter In the week leading to Easter Sunday, hundreds of colourful processions featuring penitents in cone-shaped hoods and centuries-old religious floats traditionally flood the streets of villages and cities across Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20200409/how-spain-is-celebrating-holy-week-in-lockdown Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:08:37 +0200 how-spain-is-celebrating-holy-week-in-lockdown This scrumptious calorific treat is traditionally eaten in Spain over Easter, and it's easy enough to make at home. https://www.thelocal.es/20200408/recipe-how-to-make-spains-easter-dish-torrijas Wed, 08 Apr 2020 15:06:42 +0200 recipe-how-to-make-spains-easter-dish-torrijas Spanish travellers face a range of transport woes during Holy Week as air and rail unions on Friday called for walkouts. https://www.thelocal.es/20190413/threat-of-spanish-transport-strikes-looms-as-holy-week-approaches Sat, 13 Apr 2019 12:50:24 +0200 threat-of-spanish-transport-strikes-looms-as-holy-week-approaches “Spain is different!”. Napoleon took this view after his defeat by Spanish guerrilla warfare tactics. https://www.thelocal.es/20190413/under-the-hoods-the-brotherhoods-and-sisterhoods-of-spains-holy-week Sat, 13 Apr 2019 12:26:26 +0200 under-the-hoods-the-brotherhoods-and-sisterhoods-of-spains-holy-week Pilots on Air Nostrum, airport ground staff and Renfe machinists, all plan industrial action during the busy Easter travel period. https://www.thelocal.es/20190409/how-strikes-in-spain-could-ruin-your-easter-travel-plans Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:14:07 +0200 how-strikes-in-spain-could-ruin-your-easter-travel-plans