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Platja de L’illa Roja, Begur

Wear something new!

Semana Santa starts with Diumenge de Rams or Palm Sunday (28 March 2021) and here in Catalunya, they have a tradition of always wearing something new to mark the day. They even have a proverb that translates as: “On Palm Sunday if you don’t wear something new your hands will fall off”! Good Friday this year falls on 2 April and is a public holiday everywhere in Spain. Easter Monday on the 5th is a holiday as well, but only here in Catalunya. (Visca Catalunya!)…

The Easter Bunny (Rabbit) is another tradition whose origins can be traced back to pre-Christianity. Pagans in Europe celebrated a fertility goddess called Eostre and rabbits, of course, are well known for being VERY fertile. Over time a tradition developed of an egg-laying rabbit or hare known as Osterhase, which in turn eventually became the “Easter Bunny”. This gave rise to another custom, the Easter basket, which is basically a basket stuffed with straw to resemble a nest. Children would prepare these baskets to encourage the Easter Bunny to come and lay its coloured eggs in their “nests”.

Processions In Costa Brava: Closer to home in the province of Girona important celebrations are held in Girona city, Besalú, Sant Hilari Sacalm and Verges. In Girona, up to twelve cofradías (brotherhoods) take part in a slow procession starting at 22:00 on Good Friday at Santa Maria cathedral and passing through the old medieval part of the city. In Sant Hilari Sacalm a procession has been taking place for over three centuries reenacting “The Way of the Cross” and in Besalú the “Procession of the Sorrows” is held, also on Good Friday.

There is also a Procession of the Dead in Verges, part of traditional Catalan theater and custom