Holy Week in Santa Cruz de La Palma stands out as one of the Canary Islands most captivating Easter celebrations, garnering recognition as a Festival of Tourist Interest in 2014. Beyond its deep religious essence, the Easter celebrations in Santa Cruz de La Palma hold artistic and social values, drawing worldwide visitors.
Easter Celebrations Highlighted by Religious Sculptures: Dive into Holy Week in La Palma
The processions are renowned, especially for the religious sculptures displayed. These pieces, originating from the old Low Countries, colonial America, and the 18th-century Sevillian school, grace the streets of Santa Cruz de La Palma’s historic center during the Easter celebrations, presenting a visual feast carried by dedicated bearers.
During this week, the balconies of the historic streets are adorned in honor of the processions, filling the atmosphere with a characteristic scent of incense and keeping alive the sequence of events of the Passion and Death of Christ, as narrated by the Holy Scriptures. The processional parades are organized in a specific order, starting with the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, followed by the arrest and flagellation on Holy Monday and Tuesday, the way of the cross on Wednesday, Jesus at Golgotha on Thursday, and the crucifixion, death, and Holy Burial on Friday.
Among the most emotional and revered moments is the procession of the “Lord of the Cold Stone,” a 16th-century image of The Lord of Humility and Patience, one of the oldest and most beloved carvings in the Canary Islands. Accompanied by ladies dressed in mantillas and carrying lit lanterns, this procession stands out for its majesty and spectacle. The drums, muffled as a sign of mourning, add solemnity and further elevate this act of faith and devotion.
In recent years, the Easter week in Santa Cruz de La Palma has seen enhanced vibrancy, owing to the invaluable contributions of local brotherhoods and parishes. Processions during these days have grown in spectacle and depth, enriched by newer images, marches, and acts centered around Christ’s Passion. As a paramount facet of Easter in Santa Cruz de La Palma, it offers an unparalleled dive into the island’s religious and cultural fabric.
