For this blog though we are going to focus on one of the biggest and most extravagant parades in the country. It takes place in the Murcian city of Lorca. The main street through the centre, Av. Juan Carlos I, is lined with terraces of seats for the parade which takes place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as the sun sets.





It is advisable to book your seats in advance with the most expensive to the front and the cheapest towards the rear. The street is split into white and blue ( blanco azul ) and where you sit depends upon where you purchase the ticket from (see links.) Prepare then of a parade which combines an historic re-telling of biblical stories, complete with chariot races, horse displays and sombre marches with Madonnas and altars.

It is a visual treat and we urge you to go and see. You do not have to be religious to understand the spectacle.





Still undecided, then have a look at the pictures and video from recent parades.





The Easter holiday week is the most important period in the Spanish Christian calendar. From the northern most villages to the Andalucian south, Easter week, or Semana Santa, is celebrated with a variety of parades and festivals. If you are in Spain during this period, you will find one close to you, probably based around a church or monastery.