Traditions of Seville
The city of Semana Santa processions, the April Feria and the flamenco dance.
Seville is the capital of Andalusia, a city of orange trees, tiled courtyards and a deep tradition of song, dance and devotion. Its Holy Week and its Feria are among the most visited festivals in Spain. Flamenco, recognised by UNESCO, grew up in the Andalusian south, and Seville remains one of its homes.
Semana Santa and the Feria
In Holy Week, brotherhoods, hermandades, carry carved images of Christ and the Virgin on floats through the streets, preceded by penitents in pointed hoods, and bands. A fortnight after Easter, the April Fair puts up hundreds of striped tents, casetas, where families dance sevillanas, wear flounced dresses and drink sherry.
At the table
Tapas, small plates of jamón, fried fish, tortilla and salmorejo, are shared at the bar. Pestiños, honey-glazed fritters, torrijas, and spiced mantecados are made at Easter and Christmas. Fino and manzanilla, sherry wines, are poured cold. Orange blossom flavours sweets.
Signature traditions of Seville
Also part of it, and being written: Feria de Abril (The April Fair.).
A trail idea for Seville
- Triana Hear flamenco in the old quarter.
- Plaza de España Walk the tiled square.
- Alcázar Walk the gardens.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreHoly WeekἉγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς
The solemn seven days leading to Easter, recalling the final week and Passion of JesusSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain and 5 moreFeast of Corpus ChristiCorpus Domini
A Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistSpiritual
🇪🇸 Ronda, Spain and 5 moreBullfightingCorrida de toros
A ritual contest between a bullfighter and a bull, kept in Spain and Latin AmericaGame
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainHoly Week in SevilleSemana Santa de Sevilla
A week of solemn processions and floats through the streets of Seville to mark the Passion of Christ.Spiritual
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSevillanas
A folk dance and song from Seville, kept at fairs and festivals across Andalusia.Performance
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainHoly Week in SpainSemana Santa
Annual Catholic penitential processions across Spain featuring floats, robes and music to mark the Passion of Christ.Spiritual
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainFlamenco
The song, guitar and dance of Andalusia, kept by gitano and other Spanish families.Performance
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSeville FairFeria de Abril de Sevilla
A week-long spring festival in Seville of carriage parades, marquee tents and dancingFestival · Dinner
🇪🇸 Seville, Spain and 5 moreAzulejo
Painted, tin-glazed ceramic tiles that cover walls and floors across Portugal and SpainCraft
🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain and 5 moreFiesta de las Cruces
A May festival where communities decorate crosses with flowers and crafts to celebrate faith and local heritage.Festival
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainTraje de flamenca
The ruffled dress women wear to the fairs of AndalusiaDress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Holy Week in Spain: Rodelar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
- Flamenco: John Singer Sargent, Public domain, source
- Seville Fair: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bullfighting: No machine-readable author provided. Manuel González Olaechea assumed, CC BY 3.0, source
- Holy Week in Seville: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sevillanas: Anual, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tapas: Elemaki, CC BY 3.0, source
- Fiesta de las Cruces: Michelangelo-36, Public domain, source
- Azulejo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Traje de flamenca: MariCruz México, CC BY-SA 4.0, source