La Semana Santa

Semana Santa is probably one of the most famous celebrations in Spain. This year it was the 3rd week of April. It is celebrated in most Spanish towns and cities for 7 days, although in Murcia it lasts 10 days. In Murcia there is at least one parade through the 7, but on most days there is more than one. Luckily I live next to the city´s cathedral, which is the epicenter of the festivities, so I could watch most of the processions from my living room balcony. For the entire week, the city basically shuts down, most businesses are closed and restaurants are packed.

During the processions, various fraternities carry floats with religious relics. The majority of the outfits worn resemble the racist hate group the KKK, but they are not to be confused with the KKK.

This photo was from the procession on Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday). The lights of the city are turned off, the people in the procession only carry candles and everyone is in silence. This one was my favorite.


This photo was taken on the Día de la Resurrección (Resurrection Day).

In my opinion, Semana Santa is something you should see once in your life. But if you´re not hardcore Catholic eventually the processions will get a bit boring. But like I said, definitely a must-see.