{"id":54138,"date":"2021-03-19T10:34:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T10:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.thbhotels.com\/?p=54138"},"modified":"2021-03-19T10:34:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T10:34:06","slug":"holy-week-traditions-and-gastronomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.thbhotels.com\/en\/holy-week-traditions-and-gastronomy\/","title":{"rendered":"HOLY WEEK TRADITIONS AND GASTRONOMY"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOLY WEEK TRADITIONS AND GASTRONOMY<\/h1>\n

Holy Week in Spain is a time of deep religious sentiment when Christians express their sense of devotion. However, traditions vary depending on the autonomous community, ranging from processions that recreate the Passion in Andalusia to the tamborrada or beating of the drums in Hell\u00edn (Castilla La Mancha).<\/h2>\n

Read on to discover the most fascinating and awe-inspiring Holy Week traditions in our destinations: the Balearic Islands and Lanzarote.<\/p>\n

HOLY WEEK IN THE BALEARIC ISLANDS<\/h3>\n

Easter in the Balearic Islands is a time of processions when hooded penitents known as \u201cNazarenes\u201d or, as the islanders call them caperutxes, walk solemnly along the streets. Definitely not to be missed are the Holy Thursday and \u201cChrist of the Blood\u201d processions in Palma. It is also well worth travelling to Pollen\u00e7a (on the island of Majorca) to watch the \u201cDescent from the Cross\u201d or Davallament which takes place on Good Friday.<\/p>\n

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Caperutxes,\u00a0photo by\u00a0soyrural.es<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Gastronomy is particularly important during these festivities. Meat is forbidden on Fridays during Lent, and is replaced with delicious and hearty cod and vegetable dishes. This period of fasting ends on Easter Sunday, and is celebrated with the famous Frits de Pascua \u2013 pork or lamb stir-fried with blood, potatoes, peas, pepper and fennel.<\/p>\n

Other delicacies include the traditional panades<\/strong> (round pies filled with meat, peas and sobrasada sausage); cocarrois<\/strong> (semi-circular pasties filled with vegetables, raisins and pine nuts). Popular sweets and pastries at this time of year include crespells<\/strong> (flower, heart and star shaped pastries dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with icing sugar) and robiols<\/strong> (sweet semi-circular pastries filled with jam, cottage cheese or threaded pumpkin jam). However, as in practically all cultures, each family has its own particular traditions: some prepare vegan panades or fill their robiols with chocolate.<\/p>\n

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Panades and Cocarrois,\u00a0photo by\u00a0fornsanagustin.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

HOLY WEEK ON LANZAROTE<\/h3>\n

Religious festivities are celebrated in various towns and villages around the island, including processions, religious services and popular celebrations.<\/p>\n

Each year, the town of Arrecife marks the official start to the Holy Week celebrations with the \u201cThe Lord on the Donkey\u201d procession. After Palm Sunday mass in the Church of San Gin\u00e9s, the figure of Jesus mounted on a donkey is carried by churchgoers around the streets to the sounds of the chants of the faithful.<\/p>\n

The celebrations continue on Holy Thursday with the Stations of the Cross, and on Good Friday with the processions of the Holy Burial and Solitude.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Lord on the Donkey\u201d procession,\u00a0photo by\u00a0fotosdegrancanaria.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Canary Islands also have their own traditional Easter recipes. They are mainly fish-based dishes served with other seafood such as tope shark, calamari, octopus, European flying squid, cuttlefish and roe. Below are just a few of the dishes traditionally prepared in the Canary Islands during Lent:<\/p>\n