Easter in Gran Canaria

Easter in Gran Canaria is a religious holiday, celebrated since the island's capital was founded by the Kingdom of Castile in 1478, and lasts from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

 

Countless tourists choose to spend their Easter holidays in Gran Canaria, mainly because, apart from the impressive religious processions that are widely followed by believers and non-believers alike, the island's climate is a total guarantee.

 

Whereas in other parts of the world the weather is very unpredictable during Easter Week with days of rain that paralyse the days, in Gran Canaria the weather is stable with mild temperatures and many hours of sunshine, which is very necessary for the body.

What is the Holy Week like on the island of Gran Canaria?

Easter is celebrated in very different ways in each town on the island, although the most outstanding is that of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with great historical and artistic value, and with numerous brotherhoods that travel around the city with overwhelming fervour.

 

Canarian imagery has an important presence here, almost all of which are candlestick images carved by artists of the stature of José Luján Pérez, the greatest exponent of Baroque sculpture in the Canary Islands and its most representative artist.

Easter Processions in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Holy Week in Gran Canaria has a multitude of processions that take place during the Passion of Christ.

Palm Sunday

  • Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem: in the morning the procession of the Lord on the Donkey takes place, which starts at the San Telmo Chapel and goes through different streets of the capital of Gran Canaria. On the arrival of the procession, the Eucharist is celebrated in San Telmo Park.
  • Penitential procession of the Nazarenos de Vegueta: in the afternoon, the penitential procession of the brotherhood of the Nazarenos de Vegueta to the Cathedral of the Canary Islands takes place from the parish church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Vegueta.

Holy Wednesday

  • ​Procession of the Santo Encuentro de Cristo or del Paso: this procession of images takes place at 20:30 from the parish church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán de Vegueta and the encounters take place in the different streets, with the main one between Christ and the Virgin in the Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana, after which the procession makes its penitential station in the Cathedral of the Canary Islands.
  • Procession of Our Lady of Sorrows of Triana: from the Chapel of San Telmo, the solemn procession of Our Lady of Sorrows of Triana takes place, making its penitential station at the Sanctuary of San Antonio de Padua.

Holy Thursday

  • This day is known for the visits to the seven monuments prepared by the different parishes, churches and convents in the area of Vegueta and Triana, as well as other parts of the city. Near the early hours of Good Friday morning, at ten to twelve at night, the singing of the Miserere in honour of the Santísimo Cristo del Buen Fin is celebrated in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

Good Friday

  • Via Crucis of the Holy Christ of the Good End: it is celebrated at midnight and leaves from the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and travels through different streets of the Vegueta neighbourhood. It is unaccompanied by music, in silence and in penitence. Before leaving, the Miserere is sung and a bell marks the stops and the restart of the procession.
  • Procession of Art, of the Mantillas or the Dolorosa de Luján Pérez: at 11:00 this popular procession takes place from the Cathedral of the Canary Islands, known as the Dolorosa de Luján Pérez because it is the culminating work of this sculptor from Gran Canaria. It is also known as the Procession of Art, as the two most important images of the sculptor appear in it, and the Procession of the Mantillas, as the ladies wear Canarian mantillas. When both images arrive at the cathedral, the sermon of the Seven Words takes place.
  • Procession of the Holy Burial of Christ or Magna Interparroquial: on the evening of Good Friday, the procession of the Holy Burial of Christ takes place, also known as the Magna Interparroquial procession, in which fifteen pasos take place and which annually attracts more than fifty thousand people.
  • Thrones from the Parish of Santo Domingo: the images of the Lord Preacher and Saint Mary Magdalene come out of this parish. Then comes the Santísimo Cristo del Granizo, followed by the Santísimo Cristo con la Cruz a Cuestas and the Santa Mujer Verónica of the Hermandad del Santo Encuentro.
  • Thrones from the Parish Church of San Agustín: from this parish the Santísimo Cristo de la Vera Cruz, accompanied by San Juan Evangelista and the image of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, popularly known as La Genovesa starts the procession.
  • Thrones from the parish of San Francisco: from this parish goes out the Holy Christ of the Agony in the Garden, accompanied by the angel Saint Egudiel and the Holy Apostles. This is followed by the procession of the Santísimo Cristo de la Humildad y Paciencia and San Pedro de las Lágrimas. Then the Naked Holy Cross with Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalene makes its exit. This is followed by the procession of the Santísimo Cristo Yacente. The procession is closed by Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de la Portería, accompanied by her Pontifical and Royal Archconfraternity. The focal point is the Alameda de Colón, where the processions come together chronologically according to the events of the Passion of Christ.
  • Procession of the Retreat and Silence: after the previous multitudinous procession, different processions of the Retreat are held in the city, and returning to their points of origin in sepulchral silence.

Weather in Gran Canaria during Easter

The weather in Gran Canaria during Holy Week is positively affected by the trade winds, humid and cool, which come from the north, specifically from the Azores anticyclone. The average figures for the months of March and April speak for themselves:

 

MARCH

APRIL

Temperature (ºC)

19

19.4

Rainfall (mm)

12

6

Relative humidity (%)

64

64

Rainy days

2.3

1.3

Sunshine hours

229

228

Best Easter offers in Gran Canaria

If you want to prepare your Easter holidays on the island, probably the best idea is to stay in one of the best establishments with the most attractive offers on the market. And the answer to where to look for them is obvious: at VillaGranCanaria.

 

We have an incredible selection of luxury flats and villas with private pools spread across the length and breadth of Gran Canaria, in the best locations so that you don't miss out on any of the island's picturesque Holy Week celebrations.

Sources on Easter in Gran Canaria

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