holy week

Lifestyle

Take a trip around Europe in intriguing Easter traditions

Easter isn’t just about bunnies, chocolate and singing hymns – these European traditions infuse the holiday with legends, competition, and even crime drama.

29/03/2024

Culture news

Why has this year's Seville Holy Week poster sparked outrage in Spain?

More than 13,000 people have signed an online petition urging the removal of Seville's official Holy Week poster, for what some perceive as an "offensive" and "homoerotic" depiction of Christ.

31/01/2024

Bulgaria

Dyeing eggs and baking bread: Bulgaria's Orthodox Easter traditions

Kozunak is a sweet loaf made with sugar, raisins and almonds, to be served on special religious occasions.

15/04/2023

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WATCH: Chilean zoo treats animals to Easter egg hunt

Zoo keepers at Chile’s Buin zoo continued an 11-year tradition and organised an egg hunt for the animals to mark Easter Sunday .

10/04/2023

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Thousands of drummers in Spain mark Good Friday

Thousands of drums come together in the village square in Calanda northeast Spain. At midday on Good Friday, they begin to beat in unison, filling the whole village with sound

07/04/2023

Spain

Easter pardon: Centuries-old Spanish ritual frees criminals

"I am grateful for this new opportunity". Antonio Daniel Mira's drug trafficking sentence was cut short by a long-standing tradition of Spanish Holy Week.

07/04/2023

Vatican

Pope Francis calls for "Easter truce" in Palm Sunday address

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said that the “folly of war” leads people to commit “senseless acts of cruelty.”

10/04/2022

Culture news

Meet the gay stylists playing a key role in Spain’s Holy Week

Despite being heavily involved in the most famous, theatrical and rapturous Holy Week in the world, the LGBT+ community in southern Spain are continually relegated to the margins

08/04/2022

Israel

Christians mark Good Friday amid lingering COVID-19 woes

Worshippers in Israel were allowed to attend scaled-back Good Friday celebrations which were cancelled last year.

02/04/2021

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Flamenco prayers sung from balconies in Andalusia despite pandemic

People from Cordoba showcased religious images outside on their balconies and sang religious songs, to show the Easter celebrations were still happening.

10/04/2020

Vatican

"Be humble", Pope Francis urges Catholic Church

"Be humble", Pope Francis urges Catholic Church

14/04/2019

Venezuela

Easter communions under threat in Venezuela

Rationed flour and shortages mean hosts in short supply for the faithful, so Colombia has donated 250,000 unleavened discs for the ceremonies across the country.

30/03/2018