Easter 2024 dates are Sunday March 24 to Monday April 1, 2024. Barcelona Easter and Easter weekend 2024. Things to do in Barcelona for Easter weekend 2024. Easter week in Spain is called 'Semana Santa' which means 'Holy Week.'Easter weekend is at the start of the Easter week in Spain. On this webpage you can find information about Barcelona Easter parades and Good Friday processions.
Dates Easter 2024
March 24, 2024 Palm Sunday - Domingo de Ramos Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter week
March 28, 2024 Easter Thursday - Jueves Santo - Maundy Thursday Not a public holiday in Barcelona, Catalonia (It is a public holiday in most of Spain except Catalonia, Valencia and Cantabria)
Easter is a moveable feast so the dates change every year. Easter week begins on Palm Sunday which is called 'diumenge de Rams' in Catalan language and 'domingo de Ramos' in Spanish language.
Barcelona does not have many Easter processions but there are a few. Times can vary. There is a procession on Palm Sunday in the Raval area of the Ciutat Vella. Most of Barcelona's Easter parades are on Good Friday which is called 'divendres Sant' in the Catalan language and 'viernes Santo' in the Spanish language. Good Friday 2024 is on March 29, 2024.
Easter 2024 ends on Easter Monday April 1st 2024 which is called 'dilluns de Pasqua' in Catalan language and 'lunes de Pascua' in Spanish language. Easter Monday is also called 'Diá de la mona de Pascua' which means Easter 'mona' cake day.
Traffic
Please note that the Easter in Barcelona is very busy so expect long lines at travel hubs and attractions. Expect traffic delays and long lines during peak travel days. Many local Barcelona residents choose to leave the city for the Easter break. This mass exodus from the city is called 'operacion salida' which means 'operation exit.' Around half a million cars leave Barcelona for the Semana Santa break. The traffic coming back on Easter Monday is called "la operación retorno".
Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in Barcelona and Spain, so most shops in Barcelona are closed, but restuarants and museums are open.
Scroll down this page to read about Barcelona Easter week and Easter processions and traditions.
Things to do at Easter in Barcelona
Barcelona is a very popular destination at Easter. This can mean longer lines at Barcelona's top attractions. Find the top 10 Barcelona sights and save time and long queues by pre-booking Barcelona tours and discounts cards online.
For families with children spending Easter in Barcelona, popular attractions include Barcelona Zoo in Park Ciutadella, the Tibidabo funfair on Tibidabo hill, the Magic Fountain at the foot of Montjuic hill, the Barcelona Aquarium in the Port Vell marina, the Poble Espanyol Spanish Village on Montjuic hill which usually has a Barcelona Flower Festival during Easter with lots of activities for children. Many Barcelona attractions will offer special Easter programmes with activities for children and families. Find more things to do for families with children in Barcelona on our page Barcelona with children and on our Barcelona museum page.
Outside Barcelona
Outside Barcelona 1 hour to the south by train, there is are two theme parks called PortAventura and Ferrari land which has Europe´s highest and fastest rollercoaster.
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Easter Shopping in Barcelona
Will the shops be open during Easter in Barcelona? No. Shops are not open in Barcelona on the public holidays of Good Friday and Easter Monday. Most shops close for Easter in Barcelona. In the city center many small tourist souvenir shops are open and some small boutique clothing shops will be open too, but the big shopping centres and high-street brand shops are closed. The only shopping centre partially open during Easter holidays is the Maremagnum in the port area (and not all the shops are open there) - and 1 hour outside Barcelona the outlet mall La Roca Village is open. Guide Barcelona shopping
Restaurants
Restaurants and bars are open during Easter.
Barcelona Easter festivals
Barcelona is a modern, cosmopolitan city and, to be honest, Barcelona's Easter celebrations are perhaps not of the magnitude and splendour of other Spanish cities and not at all as splendid as the south of Spain. In the 18th and early 19th century Barcelona did actually have quite a few Easter processions in various areas of Barcelona including the Gràcia, Poble-sec, Sant Martí neighbourhoods. One of the more entertaining Easter parades, that has been lost, was the Bona Mort (Good Death) procession featuring skeletons and grim reapers with scythes. There are still a few Easter procession in the old medieval center on Palm Sunday and Good Friday - and a few processions in the suburbs of Barcelona. Find them below. There are very nice Easter festivals and procession in towns near Barcelona and we can recommend the Easter celebrations in nearby Girona or Tarragona, which are around 1 hour by car or train from Barcelona.
Easter processions Barcelona
Please note times and routes of procession can vary. Easter processions in Spain are organised by the 'Hermandades y Cofradías de Penitencia' which are religious brotherhoods of lay people, both male and female.
They have the blessing of the church to organise processions. The Pentitencia brotherhoods only parade at Easter, whereas the 'Hermandades de gloria' parade at other times of the year, but not Easter. In Barcelona city centre there are two 'Hermandades de Penitencia' who organise Easter processions. One of these is the 'Nuestra Señora de las Angustias' from the church 'Iglesia de Sant Jaume' - and the other is 'la Hermandad de la Macarena y la de Jesús del Gran Poder' from the Iglesia de San Agustín.
The Easter processions are called an 'estación de penitencia.' The procession starts from their home parish church and goes to the Barcelona cathedral and back. Sometimes the processions are also called 'pasos' because the beautifully decorated and adorned Easter floats themselves are also called 'pasos' and a 'Hermandad de Penitencia' can organise various processions, but with different paso floats.
The paso floats have large wooden effigies of Christ either carrying the cross or on the cross. The sculptures can also be the Virgin Mary, or other saints or biblical figures or scenes. The Pasos are carried by 30-50 porters called 'costaleros,' who carry the paso like a litter. The paso floats are immensely heavy and rest breaks are taken every few minutes. The leader of the bearers are the 'capataz' who determine the 'chicotá', which is the pause between a paso being lifted and set down again. The floats are carried along the procession route to the cathedral for the station of penitance at the Cathedral and then they return to their parish church.
The signal to lift or set down the paso is given by the 'llamador' (crier) who knocks on the front of the float. There are various robes for brotherhood members. The 'nazareños' wear penitential robes called a 'nazareño' which have very tall pointed hats called 'capirotes'. Nazareños often carry candles called 'cirios'. The costaleros don't wear the pointy capirotes, but often are often fully masked. The penitents carry crosses and wear robes with hoods too, but not the pointed hoods.
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter Sunday and signals the start of Semana Santa Easter Week. Palm Sunday is called 'Domingo de Ramos' in Spanish and 'Diumenge de Rams' in Catalan. Ramos and Rams means branches.
In Barcelona there is a Palm Sunday procession called 'La Borriquita' (little donkey) organised by the Parish of San Agustín (see maps, dates and times below.) All churches in Barcelona have Palm Sunday masses, which usually include a 'Bendición de la Palma' palm blessing ceremony. At some churches the parish priests will go outside the church to bless people outside carrying laurel branches - 'ramos de laurel' or palm stalks and leaves called 'palmónes y palmas'.
Boys carry the 'palmónes' which are the tall palm stalks - and the girls carry the 'palmas', which are smaller and with shorter stems and intricately woven crosses. The childrens' palm leaves often have small bags of sweets or toys on the palms tied to them, and are often decorated with Catalan 'senyera' flag ribbons.
Visit the Feria de Ramos markets in Barcelona outside Barcelona Cathedral, on the street Rambla de Catalunya or by the Sagrada Familia church, to find palmónes and palmas for sale on the days leading up to Palm Sunday. You can also buy them at most supermarkets.
An Easter tradition in Spain is that Godmothers are responsible for making or getting the palm leaves for their Godchildren. In the old days this was done by weaving palm leaves them by hand, but nowadays most Godmothers buy palm leaves ready made at the Feria de Ramos markets, or even at a supermarket.
Another tradition on Palm Sunday in Spain is that children should wear a new item of clothing.
The saying goes 'Domingo de Ramos - al que no estrena se le caen las manos!' which means 'Palm Sunday - if you don't wear something new you hands will drop off!'
There are four Palm Sunday markets in Barcelona called 'Fira de Rams'. You can find them in front of Barcelona La Seu Cathedral - on the street Rambla de Catalunya - at the famous Sagrada Familia church ( which is sometimes specially illuminated for Easter) - and in Sants area of Barcelona on Plaça Bonet i Muixi.
Palm Sunday procession & blessings
Parroquia de San Agustín Domingo de Ramos - Palm Sunday processions Paso: La Borriquita (little donkey) Jesús enters Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey Start: 10.00 Iglesia de San Agustín on Plaça Sant Agustí, 2, Raval Finish: 12:00 same place Procession route: Plaça Sant Agustí, Hospital, La Rambla, Santa Ana, Portal del Ángel, Cucurulla, Portaferrisa, La Rambla, Hospital and back to Plaça Sant Agustí
Sagrada Familia closes to general public from 9-15 during Palm Sunday Mass.
Barcelona Holy Thursday procession
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, among other names, is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels. Solemníssim Viacrucis de la Sang procession on Holy Thursday from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m starts from Plaça del Pi, then passes through Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, Carrer de la Palla, Carrer dels Banys Nous, Carrer del Call, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Carrer del Bisbe, Carrer de la Pietat, Carrer dels Comtes, Pla de la Seu, Carrer de Santa Llúcia, Carrer del Bisbe, Plaça Nova, Carrer dels Boters, Plaça de Cucurulla, Carrer del Pi and ends at Plaça del Pi.
Barcelona Good Friday processions
What to do on Good Friday in Barcelona? Are shops open on Good Friday in Barcelona and Spain? No. Shops are closed in Barcelona on Good Friday and other Easter public holidays. Restaurants and museums are open. The Maregmagnum mall in the harbour area is usually partially open.
Viernes Santo processions Barcelona A Good Friday parade in Barcelona starts in the Raval area at the church 'La Iglesia de Sant Agustí' on Plaça Sant Agustí. This parade usually starts at 17.00 hours with a very nice procession with two 'paso' floats and around 300 participants and musicians. At 19.00 at the church Iglesia de Sant Jaume on Carrer de Ferran in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona another Good Friday Easter procession starts at 19.00 hours. To celebrate mass visit to the gothic Santa Maria del Mar church or the Barcelona Cathedral or the famous Sagrada Familia. For Palm Sunday decorations visit 'Feria de Ramos' on the street Rambla de Catalunya
Iglesia de San Agustín Good Friday Procession by Hermandad del Gran Poder y la Esperanza Macarena Paso Cristo: Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder Paso de Palio: María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena Start: 17.00/5pm Iglesia de San Agustín, Plaça Sant Agustí, 2, Raval area. At 20:00 processions from this church join other processions at Barcelona cathedral Finish: around 23:00 same place Procession route: Plaça Sant Agustí, La Rambla, Santa Ana, Portal del Ángel, Arcs, Plaza Nova, Avenida Catedral, Boters, Pi, Plaza del Pi, Cardenal Casañas, Boqueria, Hospital and Plaça Sant Agustí
Parroquia de Santa Anna (not confirmed) Good Friday Procession by Hermandad de las Angustias de Barcelona Pasos: Jesús Nazaret, el Cristo de la Buena Muerte, Virgen de las Angustias. Start: 18.30 Iglesia de Santa Anna - Carrer de Santa Anna, 29 Finish: around 23:00 same place Procession route: Church Santa Anna, Santa Ana, Portal de l'Àngel, Portaferrisa, Petritxol, Pl. del Pi, Carrer de la Palla, Pla de la Seu (Catedral)
Iglesia de Sant Jaume Good Friday Procession by Hermandad y Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias
Start: 11:00 Via Crucis from Iglesia de San Jaime to Iglesia de Santa Anna. Paso: Nuestra Señora de las Angustias - Our Lady of Sorrows Start: 19:00 Iglesia de Sant Jaume in Gothic area on Carrer de Ferran 28 to Iglesia de Santa Anna. At 20:00 this procession meets at Barcelona cathedral with the procession of la Hermandad de la Macarena Finish: 23:00 at Iglesia de Sant Jaume Procession route: Iglesia de Sant Jaume, Ferrán, Plaza San Jaime, Bisbe, Avenida de la Catedral, Boters, Portaferrissa, Ramblas and Ferrán, Iglesia de Sant Jaume
Church Santa Maria del Mar Good Friday Procession at Santa Maria del Mar basilica Start: 09:30 Via Crucis procession - Procession of Stations of the Cross. Procession route: Santa Maria del Mar, Fossar de les moreres, Pg del Born, Carrer del Rec, Carrer Bonaire, Carrer Rere palau, Marques argentera, Pla de Palau, carrer Espaseria and finish as Santa Maria del Mar
Good Friday 2024 at Barcelona Cathedral Service and procession at Barcelona Cathedral Start: 15:00 Sermó de les Set Paraules. The Bearers of the Holy Christ of Lepanto bring the Holy Christ to the front of the Cathedral to be adored by the faithful at 15:00 on Good Friday. A Canon reads the Sermon of the Seven Words, discussing the last seven words said by Jesus before his death Start: 19.00 / 7pm Via Crucis procession on Avinguda de la Catedral Procession of Stations of the Cross on the Avinguda de la Catedral. A Via Crucis procession, also known as the "Way of the Cross" or "Stations of the Cross," is a religious procession that reenacts the events of Jesus Christ's journey to his crucifixion. Participants typically move from station to station, reflecting on the various moments of Jesus' suffering and death as depicted in Christian tradition. Each station represents a specific event, such as Jesus' condemnation, carrying of the cross, and crucifixion. The procession often involves prayers, hymns, and readings related to each station, providing a contemplative experience for participants to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus. Procession route: On Avinguda de la Catedral
Easter Sunday
Domingo de Resurrección - Resurrection Sunday (Easter Day) Mass and services at all Barcelona churches. Popular churches to celebrate Easter Sunday are the Barcelona Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia or the Santa Maria del Mar church
Cofradia 15+1 Easter processions in Hospitalet area of Barcelona
The biggest Easter processions in Barcelona are in a suburb of Barcelona called Hospitalet de Llobregat, which can be reached by metro on blue L5, but few tourists go to see them. These Easter processions started in Hospitalet in 1977 when homesick Andalusians from south of Spain were watching the Easter processions in Sevilla on TV and pining for the wonderful Easter processions of southern Spain so much, that they decided to start their own processions in Barcelona. The 'Asociación Cultural Andaluza Cofradía 15+1' - the brotherhood Cofradía 15+1 was formed. The number 15 was the number of original organisers and the number 1 was added later to symbolise the town of Hospitalet. This is the only cofradia brotherhood in Spain that organises all six Easter 'paso' processions that mark the death and resurrection.of Christ. What also makes the Cofradia 15+1 unique is that their Easter processions are completely secular and have no church involvement at all. Around one million people usually follow the six Cofradia Easter processions. All Cofradía 15+1 processions usually start at Placa de la Bobila or from Carrer del Moli. The nearest Metro station to both points is Metro station: Can Vidalet on Blue L5
Easter processions Hospitalet suburb Domingo de Ramos - Palm Sunday 11:00 Paso Cristo - La Borriquita (little donkey) 18:30 Paso de Jusús Cautivo Starts: Placa de la Bobila
Viernes Santo - Good Friday 08.30 Paso de Jesús Nazareno 08:30 Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows) 21:00 Paso del Cristo de la Expiación (The Atonement of Christ) Starts: Carrer del Moli
Sabado Santo - Easter Saturday 20:00 Paso del Santo Sepulcro (The Holy Tomb) 20:00 Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude) Starts: Placa de la Bobila
Domingo de Resurrección - Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) 18:00 Paso Jesús Resucitado (Resurrection of Jesus) 18:00 Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies) Start: Placa de la Bobila
Easter Sunday
Domingo de Resurrección - Resurrection Sunday (Easter Day) Mass and services at all Barcelona churches. Popular churches to celebrate Easter Sunday are the Barcelona Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia or the Santa Maria del Mar church
Easter Monday
Día de la mona de Pascua
Easter Monday is also 'Día de la mona de Pascua.' In Catalonia the tradition Easter cake is called 'Mona de Pascua' ('mones' in plural) and it is an important culinary Easter tradition. The cakes are called 'monas' in Spanish and 'mones' in Catalan. Between 750,000 and 850,000 Easter mona cakes are sold all over Barcelona and Catalonia for Easter. Catalan families spend an average of around €40 or €50 on this Easter cake. Pastry shops and chocolate shops make Mones de Pascua and many also make pure chocolate 'mones,' which you will see on display in their pastry shop windows.
The origins of the word mona are unclear, but it is thought that the word comes from Morocco, where mona means 'gift'. It could also be from the latin word 'muna' which has the same meaning. 'Mona' also means monkey in Catalan, so monkeys are sometimes used as mona cake shapes. During Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter, during the period when devout Catholics were not allowed to eat meat and eggs, they saved the eggs until Easter and then used them to make cakes. The mona tradition dates back to the 15th century and part of the tradtion is that this is a gift that a Godfather (or Godmother) bakes for their God-children on Easter Monday.
A traditional mona shape is a round cake similar to a big donut. The Mona recipe was originally marzipan and hard boiled eggs as the main ingredients. The number of eggs is supposed to correspond to the godchild's age, but no less than 2 and no more than 12. Nowadays a mona cake can have many shapes and themes and can also be made of chocolate.
Chocolatiers and bakers all over Catalonia compete to make the biggest and most spectacular Mona de Pascua creations and the best ones are featured on TV news. There are often Barcelona soccer team themed monas to cheer FC Barcelona football team to victory in the Champions League football tournament.
Visit one of Barcelona's most famous bakeries Escribà pasteleria to see the Escribà 'mona de pascua' in their shop window on Gran Via. Escribà has two locations - one on walking street La Rambla and their original shop on Gran Via which has a lovely Easter mona on display in the window.
Another famous Barcelona pastry shop is Hofmann Pasteleria in the Born area. And a new pastry star in Barcelona and Spain is Oriol Balaguer. You can always find chocolate monas de Pascua in the Barcelona chocolate museum Museu de la Xocolata which is also in the Born area. Or make a typical Spanish Easter cake yourself. Here is a typical Easter mona cake recipe.
Easter processions in Catalonia can be found in many smaller towns that are 1-2 hours by car or train ride from Barcelona. Here are some suggestions for you. To find trains to the towns and villages mentioned below, visit the Renfe cercanies website
Easter Montserrat
Semana Santa. Montserrat Royal Basilica is about 1 hour from Barcelona. Visit Montserrat monastery website for information about mass services.
Easter Mataró
Semana Santa Mataró. 30 minutes north of Barcelona on the Maresme coast. Mataró has impressive Good Friday processions, especially at 'Basílica de Santa María' usually at 21:30.
Easter in Girona
Semana Santa Girona. Impressive Good Friday Easter procession at 22.00 in the evening from the gates of Girona Cathedral.
Easter in Tarragona
Easter Tarragona. Tarragona is a city 1 hour south of Barcelona by car or train. See map. Tarragona attracts many visitors at Easter. Among Easter processions in Tarragona are the 'Armats' of Tarragona, which are the legion of Roman soldiers, who march on Good Friday in the Holy Burial procession which consists of many floats and participents. This takes place in the evening around 7.30pm and starts and ends from the Plaça del Rei.
The Tarragona Good Friday Easter tradition dates back to the year 1550 and is inspired by Tarragona's city origins as an Imperial Roman city of Tarraco in the Roman empire. Tarragona has impressive Roman ruins including a Roman amphitheatre and Roman circus and the remains of an aguaduct bridge outside the city.
La Procesión de Verges. Dance of Death - 'La Dansa de la mort' in Catalan langauge and 'La Danza de la Muerte de Verges' in Spanish language. Verges is a village near the Costa Brava in Catalonia, where villagers celebrate an ancient and unique dance of death every year in the evening of Easter Thursday - Maundy Thursday during Easter week - Semana Santa. The Verges procession takes place to the somber beat of drums and participants carry scythes, ashes and clocks and perform a spooky dance in skeleton costumes or robes to symbolise the final judgement after death, when it is decided if the soul goes to heaven, to purgatory, or to hell. The Dansa de la mort is definately of the strangest of Spain's Easter traditions! It is very popular to watch and thousands of spectators pay an small admission fee to watch the Verges procession in the medieval Verges village from the walls and towers.
