The Aragonese Easter Week has a total of 26 destinations that are listed with the seal of Fiesta of Tourist Interest of Aragon and / or National. In addition, Aragon is one of the communities with more than 10 localities included under the distinction of Festival of International Tourist Interest and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco, the 9 localities of the Route of the Drum and Bass Drum and the capital of Aragon.
One of the most important dates in the Spanish liturgical calendar is Holy Week. The Catholic Church commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ending with his resurrection and ascension to heaven on Easter Saturday and Sunday. This year it will be celebrated in an edition without restrictions after two years, from April 9 to 17.
Easter Week in Lower Aragon
One of the most important tourist claims in these dates so indicated is the Route of the Drum and the Drum, declared Festivity of International Tourist Interest and Intangible Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity by the Unesco. The nine towns of the Route of the Drum quadruples its population these days: Albalate, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, Andorra, Calanda, Híjar, La Puebla de Híjar, Samper de Calanda and Urrea de Gaén.
The breaking of the hour of Calanda is one of the most emblematic events for the Semanaantistas. On Good Friday at 12h in the Plaza of Spain, the hometown of filmmaker Luis Buñuel is immersed in a roar of drums and drums. One of the most remarkable marches of these sessions is the Palillera, a mixture where the drum roll, the beating of the sticks and its impressive finale with the drums leaves no one indifferent.
If you have the pleasure of enjoying Easter in Calanda, do not hesitate to visit the Buñuel Center of Calanda (CBC), a consolidated tour to learn about the work and life of one of the greatest filmmakers of the film scene. In addition to knowing the environment that marked his career, in the words of Buñuel, the «big town of the province of Teruel».
A curiosity of the Holy Week of Calanda is the Rompida de la Hora, in which every year a relevant person from the world of culture is invited to give the first blow. The Rompida de la Hora of Calanda has had in the filmmaker Luis Buñuel its greatest ambassador and the sound of the drums has served as soundtrack for three of his films: The Golden Age, Nazarin and Simon of the Desert. This year it is the turn of Ignacio Escolar, who has received the «Redoble» Award for 2022. The director and founder of eldiario.es is a professional of recognized prestige with an extensive career in different national media. Fernando Trueba, Ana Belén, Montxo Armendáriz or Carlos Saura were some of those in charge in previous years of giving the first blow to the Gran Bombo.
Easter in the Aragonese capital
Any of the three provincial capitals is a good plan to enjoy Easter in Aragon. In Zaragoza, it has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO with more than 700 years of history. In the capital alone, a total of 16,000 brotherhoods belonging to 25 different brotherhoods congregate.
The most outstanding procession par excellence in Zaragoza is that of the Holy Burial on Good Friday, the longest and oldest in Spain with a multitudinous participation of brotherhoods. The starting point is in the Church of Santa Isabel de Portugal and it represents the burial of Jesus of Nazareth after his death on the cross. Another solemn tradition is the procession of the Seven Words, where the seven words that Jesus preached during his agony on the cross are represented.
Holy Week in Huesca
Holy Week in Huesca is led by the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Vera Cruz. In total, there are 20 processional floats, 15 brotherhoods, 8 bands of drums and drums, biblical characters and music bands that participate in this Catholic tradition. The most significant procession in the capital of Huesca is also that of the Holy Burial at 7 pm.
Holy Week in Teruel
The medieval capital of Teruel welcomes this tradition with great success due to the involvement of the neighbors through the Junta de Hermandades y Cofradías de la Semana Santa of the city. The Good Friday procession stands out since it counts with the participation of all the brotherhoods of Teruel with thirteen pasos and their bands. On Easter Tuesday the Sermón de las Tortillas is celebrated, a centuries-old custom in which the people of Teruel go out to the countryside to celebrate a meal in the open air.
Ateca, originality and diversity
Easter Week in Ateca is one of the 26 destinations in Aragon that have been declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Aragon. This festivity is characterized by including original and diverse elements that give its processions a great sociological and spiritual consideration.
The religious manifestations begin on Palm Sunday with the representation of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The events continue throughout the week, highlighting the procession of the Holy Burial on Good Friday with more than 300 people involved. The parade consists of 34 steps among which are included distinctive elements such as the skeleton of a woman symbolizing Death. In this way, it reminds us that at the end of life, death will treat us all equally.
Used, Easter Week with a Roman atmosphere
Also declared a Festival of Tourist Interest of Aragon in 2017, the Holy Week of Used (Campo de Daroca) is characterized by a custom that dates back to 1911 and whose representation returns to the streets after two years of pandemic. It is the procession of Roman soldiers organized by the Association of Roman Soldiers of Used.
More than 100 people give life to the staging of the arrest of Jesus on Maundy Thursday. On Good Friday there is the Stations of the Cross, followed by another procession whose surprise is marked by the special participation of the Roman soldiers. If you want to discover how the town usedana transports you to Rome for a few hours, do not hesitate to visit it this Easter.
