Holy Week is one of the biggest holiday periods in Spain but while many people flock to the beaches, many opt to see the colorful, daily religious processions that take place in towns and cities across the country.
Several of the processions, notably those in southern Seville and northeastern Zaragoza, have become major tourist attractions.
In the parades, members of Catholic neighborhood religious groups known as fraternities carry, or file behind, large, ornately decorated floats of religious effigies depicting scenes from the biblical story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Many of the participants don penitential robes including conical shaped hats with face-covering hoods, as well as cloaks. Women often dress in black with elaborate hair combs as if in mourning.
The processions, take place both night and day, and are accompanied by brass and drum bands. Others are held in silence broken only by a wailing song of lament.
Click on any image below to launch the gallery.
In this image taken on Thursday, March 12, 2015 Luismi Fajardo, 45, poses for a photo showing a hump developed during his years as costalero, during a practice run in Seville. Fajardo, a costalero from the “Macarena” brotherhood, who carries the portable platform which supports a statue of Jesus Christ on his back, trains alongside 54 other penitents during the weeks before Easter in order to achieve the synchronism needed to carry the 2.500 kg platform throughout a 14.5 hour journey along the streets of Seville. (AP Photo/Laura Leon)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, penitents of the ‘Virgen de la Esperanza’ brotherhood march as they take part in a Holy Week procession in Zamora, Spain. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
In this photo taken on Sunday, March 29, 2015, the hand of a penitent from Los Estudiantes brotherhood gets a grip on a platform that several penitents carry with an statue of the Virgin Mary during a Palm Sunday Holy week procession in Madrid, Spain. (AP Photo/Paul White)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, penitents take part on the ‘Estacion Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno Cautivo’ Holy Week procession in Arriate, Spain. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
In this photo taken on Friday, April 3, 2015, penitents of the Jesus Yacente brotherhood take part in a Holy Week procession in Zamora, Spain. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, a masked penitent takes part in the procession of the “Santa Veracruz” brotherhood, during Holy Week in Calahorra, northern Spain. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
In this photo taken on Friday, April 3, 2015, a woman playing the roll of Mary Magdalene takes part in a procession during the Holy Week celebrations in the small town of Monsanto, near Idanha-A-Nova, Portugal. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, women wearing the traditional mantilla take part in the procession of the “Exaltacion de La Santa Cruz” brotherhood, during Holy Week in Zaragoza, northern Spain. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
In this photo taken on Sunday, March 29, 2015, hooded penitents from the La Paz brotherhood walk to the church to take part in a procession in Seville, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
In this photo taken on Sunday, March 29, 2015, a penitent from “Los Estudiantes” brotherhood walks during a Palm Sunday Holy week procession in Madrid, Spain. (AP Photo/Paul White)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, penitents take part on the ‘Estacion Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno Cautivo’ Holy Week procession in Arriate, Spain. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
In this photo taken on Friday, April 3, 2015, women worshippers pray as they take part in a procession during the Holy Week celebrations in the small town of Penha Garcia, near Idanha-A-Nova, Portugal. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this photo taken on Monday, March 30, 2015, red flares burn while penitents of the Cristo de Viga brotherhood carrying a float with a cross take part in a Holy Week procession in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Monday, March 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, a penitent wears a golden helmet, part of her costume of Roman empire’s soldier, as she takes part on the ‘Estacion Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno Cautivo’ Holy Week procession in Arriate, Spain. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, hand of a Penitents raises a rosary beads as she takes part in the procession of the “Exaltacion de La Santa Cruz” brotherhood, during Holy Week in Zaragoza, northern Spain. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
In this photo taken on Thursday, April 2, 2015, a woman wearing the traditional mantilla from “Jesus Caido” brotherhood takes part during a Holy Week procession in Cordoba, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, hooded penitents from “El Calvario” brotherhood take part in a procession during the Holy Week in Cordoba, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 31, 2015, “costaleros” from “Dulce Nombre” brotherhood, who carry the portable platform which supports a statue of Jesus Christ on his back, wait outside the church to take part in a procession in Seville, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 31, 2015, penitents from ‘Cristo de la Buena Muerte’ or ‘Good Dead Christ’ brotherhood take part in a procession during the Easter Holy Week in Zamora, Spain.(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
See more images from Holy Week
Text from the AP news story, AP PHOTOS: Colorful parades tell Passion of Christ in Spain.
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