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In Spain, many of the most curious traditions in the world are celebrated around the days of Holy Week, either in the religious field or popular folklore. Throwing dishes out the window, dressing as a skeleton or practicing rituals that are more than 500 years old... And more and more travelers are looking for this type of experience in their getaways. We review some of them through eBooking.com, the leading Spanish company in offering online tourist accommodation reservations.

Santo Entierro (Bercianos de Aliste, Zamora)

Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest of Intangible Nature by the Junta de Castilla y León, the Holy Week of Bercianos de Aliste, in Zamora, brings together hundreds of people every year to relive the Passion and Death of Christ with a ritual that has 500 years of history. In it, the brothers accompany the representation of the Crucified Christ and the Sorrowful Virgin, dressed in white linen tunics with which they will be shrouded at their burial, while the Miserere is heard in the background. An experience that transports to another era.

Holy burial of Bercianos de Aliste.CYL TOURISM

The Dance of Death (Verges, Girona)

This tradition, which dates back to the High Middle Ages, is celebrated in Verges (Girona) on Holy Thursday in commemoration of the Passion of Christ. Throughout the procession, stagings such as the three Marys and the women of Jerusalem, the Crucifixion and the Dance of Death are performed. In the latter, five dancers take to the streets dressed as skeletons to dance the dansa de la mort, accompanied by the sound of a drum. The capdanser is in charge of opening the dance with his scythe, the banderer carries a black flag and is accompanied by two other skeletons carrying plates of ash and, finally, we find a skeleton wearing the watch that symbolizes the arrival of death.

The Dance of Death by Verges.CATALUNYA EXPERIENCE

Launch of tableware (Valencia)

Maritime Holy Week is a deep-rooted tradition in the neighborhoods of Grau, Canyamelar and Cabañal de Valencia. During the Easter Vigil and coinciding with the beginning of the procession of Gloria, the Trencà de perols takes place. At 12 p.m., neighbors throw cups, plates, old pieces of crockery and water from balconies, while the bells of all the churches ring. In this way, they celebrate the resurrection of Christ, getting rid of the old to make way for the new, in other words, leaving behind the bad to receive the good.

Seafaring Holy Week in the Cabañal.VISIT VALENCIA

The burial of Genarín (León)

The Brotherhood of Our Father Genarín de León is, to say the least, curious. This procession, of non-religious origin, runs through the old town on the night of Holy Thursday in homage to Genaro Blanco, a character who was known for being a great drinker of undistilled pomace. The tradition began a year after his death, in 1930, when four men decided to pay homage to him by reciting poetry and drinking wine and pomace. The procession begins at one o'clock in the morning, with the reception of the Abbot of the Brotherhood and a glass of wine, and ends with the final offering to the saint, a large glass of wine.

The burial of Genarín.COFRAFÍA OF OUR FATHER GENARÍN

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