One of the best surprises about living in Spain as an auxiliar? You get nearly two weeks off for Semana Santa, aka Holy Week, and it has nothing to do with chocolate bunnies or backyard egg hunts. In fact, you might want to leave your plastic Easter baskets at home because Spain does Easter very differently. And trust me, it’s a cultural experience you won’t forget.
Semana Santa is Spain’s version of the lead-up to Easter Sunday, and it’s intense, equal parts religious devotion, street theater, and hauntingly beautiful processions. Instead of dyeing eggs or stuffing candy into plastic grass, Spaniards gather in the streets to watch towering floats carried by men in robes, dramatic drumming, and candlelit parades that can last for hours.
I mean… It’s a lot. In the best way.
Every region does Semana Santa a little differently, but some of the most famous processions happen in Seville, Málaga, Granada, and Valladolid. Even smaller cities like mine have their own take on it, complete with medieval vibes, flower petals, incense, and people crying from pure emotion. It’s a whole thing.
Here’s the plot twist I didn’t see coming: as an auxiliar de conversación, you get close to two full weeks off. Depending on your region, that usually means the week leading up to Easter (Holy Week) and sometimes a few extra days after. It’s basically the spring break of your dreams, minus the frat parties and plus a lot of religious symbolism.
It’s the perfect chance to travel, explore more of Spain, or just take a break from lesson planning and figuring out how to say “scissors” in Spanish (seriously, tijeras always slips my mind).
Now, here’s what caught me off guard: Easter egg hunting is not a thing in Spain. No jelly beans, no Peeps, no plastic eggs hidden under shrubs by a suspiciously large bunny. I mentioned it to one of my students and got a blank stare like, ¿Qué? The focus here is deeply rooted in Catholic traditions, honoring the Passion of Christ, mourning, and finally, celebrating resurrection. The fun part? You get to eat La Mona de Pascua, a sweet bread with a boiled egg baked inside (yes, really), and crack it on someone’s forehead. If that’s not a trade-off, I don’t know what is.
If you’ve never experienced Semana Santa before, you might be very taken aback by the traditional outfits worn during the processions, especially the pointed hoods (capirotes) worn by members of the brotherhoods, or cofradías. And yeah… they bear an unfortunate resemblance to a certain racist hate group in the U.S.
So here’s what you need to know:
These hoods have absolutely nothing to do with that.
The capirote dates back centuries in Spain, long before that group ever existed. They were originally worn as a sign of penance and humility, covering the face as a symbol of anonymity before God. The U.S. hate group adopted and twisted the image for their own hateful purposes, but in Spain, the tradition remains deeply religious and symbolic.
So while the visual may be jarring at first, especially for Americans, it’s important to remember that this is culture, not hate. Spain didn’t copy; they were copied and mocked.
Semana Santa taught me that Easter doesn’t have to come with a sugar high to be meaningful. In Spain, it’s about tradition, reflection, community, and okay, yes, also about having a nice chunk of time off to recharge and travel.
You won’t find any marshmallow bunnies or egg dye kits here, but what you will find is a powerful display of cultural pride, spiritual expression, and some very welcome spring sunshine.
Love always,
American Girl Meets World
