Easter, Spanish popular traditions

In Spain a 73,2% of the population are Catholics and the country has a strong Christian tradition. During the first week of April, Catholics celebrate Easter - the most important Christian holiday after Christmas.

In Spain there are a total of 41 considered Holy Week celebrations of National Tourist Interest. It is also visible that Spain celebrates Easter Week much more than most European countries. The Semana Santa (Holy week) refers to the the Christian holy period that runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is specially important for Catholics and it is one of the most popular religious celebrations in Spain. The Spanish people deeply feel and live the Easter holidays.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Holy Lent period which remember the humanity that “We came from dust, and we will become dust again” and represents the 40 days of preparation for Holy week in which people realize their sinful situation and gives the opportunity to develop during these forty days of prayer, alms-giving and fasting. Easter ends on Resurrection Sunday of Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday, an age-old tradition on the first day win which Spain brings out with the mantle for the Christian Holy Week. This day represents, according to the Catholic tradition, the entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This day is the beginning of the Holy Easter week. During this time, Christians should remember the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The start of this holiday is marked by the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Palm Sunday is the Sunday prior to that moon, therefore, every year the dates vary.

Festivity and tradition

Easter holidays in Spain takes different forms and has different traditions in in each part of Spain. In the North, in places like in Zamora, Burgos or Valladolid, they have the most ancient traditions where the first processions were held in the fifteenth century. This celebration has particular relevance in southern cities of the peninsula, since people tend to be more devout.

Córdoba, located in the South of Spain in Andalusia, holds a popular tradition for the commemoration of the last days of Jesus´ life. Representations of Jesus and the Virgin Mary are carried on the backs of believers´ in a procession through the streets of the city to show their splendor. They are accompanied by bands, solemn music and dressed to depict the Nazarenes, people from Nazareth. Each procession belongs to a neighborhood church. People go out on the streets to praise the Lord and the Virgin, while the streets are covered in the fog and smell of incense and wax, which is burnt by people performing the procession.

After Easter, Pentecost is celebrated. This represents the “Ascension of the Lord into heaven” and the “Coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles”.

There are many other festivities and celebrations after this period. In the Southeast of Spain, in Alicante, there is a pilgrimage to see the Holy Face a veil at a Monastry which was used to wipe off Christ’s blood. On the other hand, in Seville, Andalusia, people celebrates the pilgrimage of Rocio´s Virgin. Each year millions of pilgrims from around the world begin a journey on foot, horseback or in wagons to get to your destination, the hermitage of Rocio Virgin in a town called Almonte. This year it will take place on May, 27^th. It can be said that the majority of Spanish population feels and moves to the beat of religious holidays throughout the year.

March 29th: Spain´s National Strike against labor reform

Today, Mariano Rajoy, the new Spanish president since past November, faces his first general strike on March 29th, 2012. The economic measures proposed by his government for 2012 have provoked an upsurge among the Spanish population. The unfavorable economic situation which Spain is undergoing is spearheaded by consumption and monetary behaves. These factors are leading the population to the greatest mobilization in social arenas that has been seen in years.

Spain’s government has seen a change in its political ideology from left to right-wing in the previous elections. The political agenda of the new government is aimed to protect entrepreneurs and bankers, leaving aside the biggest losers of the financial crisis, the workers.

"Unite and fight for our future. 29M general strike"

The purpose of the strike is to make the new government rectify its agenda and not to apply their new labor reform that will harm workers’ rights. Unions and workers will rally in a full day general strike to protect labor sector through actions where members of the population will participate in a consumer strike by not buying or hiring any service, not driving or refueling automobiles, not using the public transportation or other services that are not emergencies and minimizing the use of telephone, water, gas and electricity for a day.

Will the general strike get the attention of the new government?

Many videos and comments are circulating through social networks supporting the demonstration by defending social rights. There are blogs that encourage people to support the strike by explaining why it is necessary to attend the movement. There is even a website, where it is possible to make companies public that will not allow its workers to go to the strike.

Strike or not? – Pros and Cons

The Arturo Soria IES assembly gives arguments for the people who do not want to go on strike, such as: “The strike is not a solution”. However, a counter-argument can say: “The strike is not a solution, is the most powerful instrument of pressure that workers currently have at our disposal to enforce our rights in a totally unjustified aggression”. For those who think like: “The strike will be for naught”, the answer could be: “Historically, all improvements of workers have been won through struggles. This strike is only the beginning, but it is a very important step”. And finally, others could say: “Spain can not stand a strike”. However, “what the country can not stand is a labor reform that will not solve the unemployment problem and cause more layoffs and instability in the new contracts. The country can not support tax increases, pay visits of the Pope, F1 circuits, airports without planes, patterns of corruption and privileges of the royal family – and the general strike is the only way to say, enough”.

"On thursday 29th, this establishment will be closed"

According to the Bank of Spain, the Iberian Peninsula continues in economic recession in the first quarter of the year, reaching one of the highest unemployment rates in the Europe with almost five million people out of work in February 2012. This has provoked fed up citizens to go on a general consumption and work strike. The main purpose is to demonstrate against the new labor reforms where measures are aimed to make dismissal cheaper for employers and reduce compensation for unfair dismissal. Also, these measures will incorporate new hiring conditions that will make employment situation more precarious for workers by removing the redundancy payment given to employees when they are layed off. Finally, this new labor reform will allow working conditions to worsen therefore warranting employers to not partake in the collective agreement.

This Royal Decree of labor reform has been ratified in the House of Representatives supported by the representatives of the PP, CiU, UPN and FAC and without the approval of the PSOE, Plural Left, PNV, and UPyD and the rest of the “Mix Group”. A total of 197 deputies against 142 members, respectively.

At the moment, Rajoy and his People’s Party (PP) have lost some support in the past Sunday’s regional elections in the provinces of Andalusia and Asturias. This could mean a negative response to the most recent enacted economic and social cuts. The Spanish population’s response will be observed by the world this coming Thursday, March 29^th to see whether the government will do an about-face on their social and economic reforms or if they will continue their path even though they are facing great resistance from the Spanish population.