Semana Santa de Ferrol

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easter-festival-ferrol-camino-ingles-camino-de-santiago-caminowaysStepping into Easter traditions in Ferrol

Semana Santa de Ferrol or the Easter Festival in Ferrol. Easter is a famous and extraordinary time of the year to walk the Camino de Santiago. During Easter Week or ‘Holy Week,’ you will be a witness to centuries-old traditions full of emotion along the way, many of them unique to each town.

One of the most important Easter festivals in Galicia takes place in the coastal city of Ferrol, starting point of the Camino Inglés or English Way. The English Way was the route traditionally taken by pilgrims from the North, mainly Britain and Ireland, on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Having travelled by boat to Northern Galicia, they would continue their journey on foot to complete their Camino.

Starting on Palm Sunday and finishing on Easter Sunday, impressive processions take place most days during ‘Holy Week’. However, the most critical dates in the Easter calendar remain Holy Thursday and Holy Friday (Good Friday), also holidays in most of Spain.

Semana Santa de Ferrol

virgin-easter-festival-ferrol-camino-ingles-camino-de-santiago-caminowaysStart your Easter on the Camino journey in Ferrol, Semana Santa de Ferrol, and participate in some of Galicia’s most spectacular Easter processions before setting off.

Arriving in Ferrol on ‘Holy’ Thursday, you will have the opportunity to attend the evening procession.  Spend Good Friday in Ferrol to experience the dramatic ‘Holy Encounter’, the striking ‘Procession of the silent ones’ at midnight or any of the other eight events taking place today, the most important date of the Easter calendar.

Having spent two nights in Ferrol to witness its classic Easter festival, you will start your Camino de Santiago journey on the Camino Inglés, following in the footsteps of many Irish and British pilgrims who have taken this trail since Medieval times.

The first couple of walking days to Pontedeume and Betanzos will offer you great views of the Bay of Ferrol. You will be staying in Pontedeume and Betanzos, two lively towns with charming historical centres and their own Easter celebrations and traditions.  After Betanzos, you will head inland towards a more rural area of Galicia on your last stretch towards Santiago de Compostela, where you can apply for your ‘Compostela’ pilgrimage certificate.

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The port city of Ferrol is one of the starting points for the Camino route traditionally taken to Santiago by pilgrims from Britain and Ireland (the English Way Camino or Camino Ingles). Still, the famous’ Semana Santa de Ferrol’ is also widely known for its spectacular Easter traditions.

Starting on Palm Sunday and finishing on Easter Sunday (or Resurrection Sunday), the ‘Semana Santa de Ferrol’ hosts 25 processions, reenacting the passion and death of Jesus in walking parades across the city. These colourful and impressive religious parades are organised by five ‘cofradías’ (fraternities) based in the town. Each ‘cofradía’ has assigned specific statues of saints (also called ‘Pasos’ or steps), parades, and their colours and symbols.

Holy Thursday (Xoves Santo or Jueves Santo) and Good Friday (Holy Friday, Venres Santo or Viernes Santo) mark the highlights of Easter Week in Ferrol when the essential processions are on display, such as the meeting of Jesus with Mary before the Crucifixion on Good Friday (Santo Encontro, Holy Meeting).

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Some of the religious figures or ‘Pasos’ used for these processions are authentic artwork pieces, in many cases dating back to the XVII, XVIII and XIX centuries, and carefully kept and restored over the years by fraternity members.

One of Ferrol’s oldest ‘Pasos’ is used for the procession called ‘Os Caladiños’ (meaning the little silent ones in Galician), taking place close to midnight on Good Friday.

It is also one of the most striking parades: while most processions are accompanied by the solemn beating of drums, for ‘Os Caladiños’, people walk in complete silence, hence its name.

For more information about Easter on the Camino de Santiago and more fantastic Easter Camino routes, contact the CaminoWays.com travel specialists.

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