Easter week in Zaragoza

The sound of drums is one of the most impressive elements of this fiesta.

The Easter week celebrations in Zaragoza date back to the 18th century. The celebration attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year. More than 15,000 people from 24 Easter brotherhoods take part in the processions. The thundering sound of drums during the processions is particularly impressive. Furthermore, throughout the route you can hear "saetas" (traditional Easter week songs) interspersed with "jotas" (typical, traditional songs from the region). The crowning moment of Easter week in Zaragoza is on Good Friday, with the procession of the Holy Burial. The departure of the different brotherhoods from their headquarters, or the final act of each procession (called the "recogida") are other highly emotive moments. Easter week is one of the most heartfelt and deep-rooted fiestas celebrated in Spain. This commemoration has centuries of history and tradition, remembering the passion and death of Jesus Christ. The streets of the majority of Spain's cities, towns and villages become the stage for religious fervour and devotion, combining grief and meditation in memory of Christ's death. Music, art and colour come together in magical processions - solemn parades in which crowds of people accompany religious images on their route through the streets.