Holy Week or Semana Santa in Madrid is quite remarking since it is also marked by sacred religious processions and church services worthy enough to witness. And so, if you are going to the Semana Santa in Madrid you have to have a good head start by knowing that both Holy Thursday and Good Friday of Holy Week are both official holidays.
Holy Thursday and Good Friday
During Semana Santa it is a common scene to see processions led by many churches and you see local people carrying religious statues. The statues are paraded as they are being carried by more or less twenty people and placed on platforms. If you frequently visit Madrid you will learn that such statues reside in the churches until the end of the year.
On Holy Thursday it is a common sight to see penitents who wear the customary purple hoods and chains locked around their feet as they carry the image of Jesus Christ. This holy day will be followed by the procession of Jesus the Medinacelli in the evening by the penitents and make its way around the city.
In other parts of the city you will also find quite a lot of concerts offered to religious music in various churches found in Madrid. The most highlighted music event during Semana Santa is called “Tamborada” performed by a famous group in Madrid named Zaragoza. During “Tamborada,” some local and foreign groups play drums for hours. Madrid also celebrates another kind of procession with the ancient “Pasos,” depicting the life of Jesus in Jerusalem.
The passion, the flagellations, the hooded men, and the Macarena also serve as some of the tourist attractions during Semana Santa of Madrid.
The Celebration of Semana Santa
The Semana Santa begins on Palm Sunday or Domingo de Ramos and ends until Resurrection Sunday. If you are in Madrid yet you are not that interested in the special religious events that happen there during Semana Santa, you will realize that such occasion is an impressive event you can not simply ignore.
As you watch the “pasos,” figures, floats, and have your meal and a drink in the streets of Madrid, you will be dazed by how old and valuable Spanish tradition and culture is. The Semana Santa of Madrid is pioneered by the most renowned “cofradias” and “nazarenos” who are mostly boys. However, unlike any other Spanish towns and cities, Madrileños way of celebrating Semana Santa is moderate.
And so, if you want to experience more of Semana Santa in Madrid, you can go to attractions such as the Carnivals and popular masked ball held in Circulo de Bellas Artes building. You will have a close encounter with Madrid’s finest festivity.
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