Holy Week is an annual Christian commemoration that remembers the Passion of Christ: his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Stations of the Cross, and his death and resurrection. During this period, numerous manifestations of popular religiosity take place worldwide. Processions, stations of penances and representations of the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth are commonplace.
This article outlines the most important dates in Spain and different regions during Spain's Holy Week in 2025.
When is Easter in 2025?
When does "Semana Santa" start and end? Holy Week in Spain is celebrated from 13th-20th April 2025. Holy Week varies each year depending on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, taking the lunar calendar as a reference to calculate the date of Easter. Therefore, this holiday can fall on different dates between March and April each year. When it comes to Easter in Spain, traditionally, Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.
13th April: Palm Sunday 2025
Palm Sunday is a religious celebration that marks the beginning of Holy Week. On this day, most Christians commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem.
It coincides with the sixth Sunday of Lent, just before Easter and is movable, meaning it can vary between 15th March and 18th April.
In many liturgical churches, it is celebrated with the blessing and distribution of palm or olive branches, symbolising those spread by the crowd in front of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.
The faithful take these blessed branches home, where they hang them next to Christian art, especially crosses and crucifixes, or keep them in their Bibles or prayer books. Furthermore, in the run-up to Lent the following year, churches collect these palms and burn them on Shrove Tuesday to obtain the ashes used the following day, Ash Wednesday, which marks the official start of Lent.
17th April: Maundy Thursday 2025
Maundy Thursday is not a national holiday in Spain, although it is in some regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Cantabria, Basque Country, Murcia, Castilla and León, Extremadura, Community from Madrid, Galicia, La Rioja, Navarra, Ceuta and Melilla. You can consult all of Spain's national holidays in our guide, or check out the school holidays in Spain in 2025.
Maundy Thursday is a significant day during Holy Week. This religious commemoration remembers Jesus of Nazareth's last supper with his disciples and the washing of his feet, as described in the canonical gospels. This day marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, a period that encompasses the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Its date varies between 19th March and 22nd April, depending on the calendar (Gregorian or Julian).
One of the most notable celebrations of Maundy Thursday is the Chrism Mass. In this ceremony, which takes place in each diocese, the holy oils used in the sacraments throughout the year are blessed. These oils are given to the priests for their parishes.
18th April: Good Friday 2025
Good Friday is a national holiday in Spain. It is one of the most representative and profound commemorations of Christianity. On this day, the crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth is remembered. In the Catholic Church, Good Friday is a day of penance: the faithful abstain from eating meat. The Eucharist is not celebrated, but the “celebration of the Passion of the Lord” is held. This liturgy consists of three parts:
- Liturgy of the Word. Readings from the prophet Isaiah and the Letter to the Hebrews are proclaimed, interspersed by the psalm “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
- Adoration of the Cross. The faithful venerate the holy cross, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus.
- Holy Communion. Although the Eucharist is not celebrated, the previously consecrated communion is distributed.
20th April: Easter Sunday 2025
Easter Sunday is the central holiday of Christianity. This day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after being crucified, according to the canonical gospels.
The date of Easter Sunday is not fixed in the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) established that Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. This means that the date varies between 22nd March and 25th April.
During this day, religious processions take place in different places throughout the country, as well as liturgical celebrations.
21st April: Easter Monday 2025
Although this day is not part of Holy Week, some autonomous communities in Spain have a public holiday on Easter Monday: Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Navarra, Basque Country, Cantabria and La Rioja.
In these regions, it is customary for children to receive the traditional Mona de Pascua as a gift from their godparents, a typical sweet that symbolises the end of abstinence during Lent. Furthermore, in places like Valencia, Murcia or the Balearic Islands, families get together to prepare typical regional dishes, such as Crespells and Robiols.
In the Catholic liturgy, this day marks the beginning of the Eastertide and culminates with Pentecost Sunday. It happens immediately after Easter Sunday and is the start of a 50-day period, during which the resurrection of Jesus and his subsequent meeting with the apostles are commemorated.
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