Holy Week is just around the corner. For some of us, this means days off work and vacations for the children. For others, it’s the most important religious holiday of the year. Others are already looking forward to eating the season’s typical culinary treats. For others—those connected with the tourism sector—it’s the beginning of the peak season.
At Dylsi, as experts for insurance for international customers, we have clients from many different countries, and we love hearing them talk about the various traditions in their respective countries. We want to bring you closer to these traditions: Cultural differences also unite and enrich us.
Holy Week “Semana Santa” in Mallorca
Origin of the name “Holy Week”
The expression “Holy Week” refers to the days in which Christianity commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a week of profound religious and cultural significance in Spain and many other countries. This year, it begins on Sunday, April 13th—Palm Sunday—and ends on April 21, Easter Monday.
Easter Processions 2025 in Palma and other towns
In Mallorca, processions are the heart of Holy Week. In Palma, the most notable is the Procession of the Holy Christ of the Blood, which is celebrated on Holy Thursday and runs through the city’s main streets. This year, 2025, there will be 11 processions in Palma, with the participation of 33 groups that are part of the Association of Holy Week Brotherhoods in Palma. Check out the complete program of this year’s processions, which you can watch in Palma.
During the processions, the hooded members of the brotherhood carry large candles, the wax of which drips onto the ground. When the carriages return to the streets the day after the procession, their wheels make a peculiar squeak, one of the most typical sounds of these days.
In addition to Palma, many towns in Mallorca celebrate their processions, each with unique characteristics that reflect the identity of their communities. At the La Misericordia Cultural Center in Palma, an exhibition dedicated to Holy Week is on display until May 22.
Enjoy after Lenten Season: empanadas, robiols, crespells
Gastronomy plays an essential role during these holidays. It’s traditional for families to gather to prepare “panades,” pies filled with meat or fish; “robiols,” pastries shaped like half moons and filled with jam or cottage cheese; and “crespells,” sweet cookies of various shapes.
These delicacies are traditionally prepared and eaten to celebrate the end of Lent. Nowadays, preparing and enjoying them is also an opportunity to strengthen family bonds and pass down recipes from generation to generation. Traditionally, Mallorcan families gather on Easter Sunday for a large family meal featuring fried lamb. You can also enjoy these dishes in numerous traditional restaurants in Mallorca.
Pilgrimages to end the festivities
On Easter Monday, a public holiday in many towns in Mallorca, many villages celebrate the “Pancaritats,” an event that attracts people of all ages to enjoy a festive day with friends and family. The Pancaritats are organised as pilgrimages to emblematic locations in the towns, mainly chapels.
Participants enjoy leftover empanadas and “robiols” or prepare paellas outdoors. These pilgrimages include mass, dancing, and open-air games and entertainment.
How our neighbors celebrate
Many countries worldwide celebrate Easter, and although the religious origin is common among them, the ways of celebrating it are as varied as the cultures themselves. At Dylsi, where we help clients of multiple nationalities, we love discovering how this holiday takes shape in other parts of the world. Here, we show you some of the most popular customs.
England enjoys chocolate eggs and a lot of tradition
As you probably know, Easter is a highly anticipated time in the United Kingdom, especially for children. One of the undisputed stars is the Easter Bunny, who hides chocolate eggs in gardens and parks. Easter egg hunts are popular family events organised by communities, schools or even institutions such as museums and castles.
On Easter Sunday, many families gather for a special meal, often featuring roast lamb as the main course, in an atmosphere that combines religious tradition with a festive, spring-like atmosphere.
Germany’s colourful Easter eggs and bonfires
In Germany, Easter also revolves around the Easter Bunny—in fact, people believe the figure of this endearing rabbit originated in Germany—and decorated eggs, albeit with a very artisanal touch. It’s traditional to decorate tree branches or bushes in gardens and indoors with hand-painted eggs, creating colourful Easter trees.
In German families, Easter Sunday morning begins with a grand hunt for the brightly painted eggs, which, according to tradition, the Easter Bunny has brought and hidden.
Some regions celebrate the “Osterfeuer”, a large bonfire on Holy Saturday night. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness and the passage to spring’s rebirth.
French bells fly to Rome
Easter (“Pâques “) combines religious traditions with other original ones in France. On Holy Thursday, the church bells stop ringing, and children believe they have flown to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. On Easter Sunday, the bells “return” bearing eggs, chocolates, and sweets, which children must search for at home or in the garden.
Blessing of food in Poland
Poland celebrates Holy Week with deep spiritual significance. On Holy Saturday, families go to church with decorated baskets containing eggs, bread, salt, sausages, and other foods to be blessed. These foods are part of the family breakfast on Easter Sunday.
Italy’s sweet Easter dove
Italy celebrates Easter with great religious fervour, especially in cities like Rome and Florence, with masses and mass processions. One of the most famous symbols is the “Easter Dove,” a dove-shaped sweet given as a symbol of peace.
Our opening hours during Holy Week 2025
Our opening hours during Holy Week 2025Our agency will be closed during the following holidays:
- Thursday, April 17 – Holy Thursday
- Friday, April 18 – Good Friday
- Monday, April 21 – Easter Monday
We take a short break, but in case you have any incident, you can contact AXA every day, at any time, by calling 918 07 00 55. The rest of the week, you can contact us in the usual way.
