The town people of Ibiza do not dare giving in to the usual hedonistic partying during Semana Santa (or Holy Week). This time is marked with solemn and vivid processions, which culminate on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. However, there is more to the holiday than just processions, so let's dive right into the details!
Customs
Easter and Holy Week in Ibiza are entwined with celebrations from the local community and religion. Together with colorful displays of island's distinctive heritage, locals and visitors celebrate the season's vitality and spiritual significance with a variety of events. The place comes to life with a fusion of indigenous customs and Christian ceremonies, from joyous celebrations to solemn processions. Devoted Catholics perform customary rituals, like the Stations of the Cross in the week preceding Easter Sunday, and the island's streets are decked with elaborate floral arrangements and ornate crosses.
Traditional Easter foods in Ibiza
Food is a vital part of Easter celebrations in Ibiza. Throughout Holy Week, households prepare specialties like sobrassada (a spicy cured sausage that is typically eaten on toast) and panades (savory pastries stuffed with meat or fish). Dried fish, or peix sec, is a popular sight on Good Friday and represents abstinence. Tables are decked with treats, including flaó (a cheesecake made with eggs) and crespells, which are beautifully shaped biscuits. Be sure to also try cuinat (a veggie & chickpea stew). Besides satisfying your taste buds, these treats also serve as a reminder of Ibiza's rich cultural legacy and deeply ingrained customs.
Processions
Now, on to the main part. Semana Santa begins with Domingo de Ramos (or Palm Sunday), which is celebrated by the blessing of palm and olive branches. This day honors the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. More processions follow in the next days. The biggest procession in Ibiza Town takes place on Good Friday, when church brotherhood members walk from the Cathedral through Dalt Vila. Easter Sunday sees the last procession, held at Santa Eulalia at 11:30 am. The celebrations come to a close when the procession travels from the centre to the Santa Eulalia church. You will notice brotherhoods wearing extremely distinctive attire–long robes, called capirotes, with fiercely pointed hats on them. These clothes draws inspiration from medieval fashion.
Fervent Catholics worship their Saints by carrying the holy statues. They are hiding their faces under hoods of various shapes with the holes cut out only for their eyes. Some say the identity is meant to be hidden to express the great respect towards the statues, others explain that the sinners do not want to show their faces.
The overall atmosphere in Ibiza during Easter festivities is quite expressive and worth seeing. Processions are followed with the music concerts that continue until the very night of Easter Saturday. Joyful festivities peak on Easter Sunday and carry on for the next few days.
