Of Christian origin, Easter, or Pascua in Spanish, is celebrated by many around the world, including in Spanish-speaking countries. Regardless of religion, however, Easter has evolved into many fun traditions that may be observed by Christians and non-Christians alike. Let's talk about some religious and non-religious Easter customs in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, along with some Spanish vocabulary to describe them.
Holy Week, or Semana Santa, is an important festive period for many Catholics and other Christians worldwide that commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Cristo (Jesus Christ) and is celebrated with particular fervor in Spain and Latin America. While there are variations among the different countries' festivities, common costumbres (customs) include attending church, the sharing of special foods, the blessing and distribution of palm leaves and days of elaborate procesiones with special floats and statues, as we can hear about and catch a glimpse of in the following clips:
más de cincuenta mil personas se visten de nazarenos para desfilar por las calles y para acompañar a las figuras religiosas.
more than fifty thousand people dress as Nazarenes to parade through the streets and to accompany the religious figures.
Captions 41-44, Raquel Fiestas de España
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Todo esto sin olvidar el sentimiento religioso; la Semana Santa de Málaga es la particular forma de los malagueños de vivir su fe.
All of this without forgetting the religious sentiment; Málaga's Holy Week is the people from Málaga's particular way of living their faith.
Captions 33-35, Málaga Semana Santa
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Now let's look at a list of useful Spanish vocabulary related to some of the days and customs of the Semana Santa season:
la Cuaresma: Lent
el Domingo de Ramos: Palm Sunday
el Miércoles de Ceniza: Ash Wednesday
el Miércoles Santo: Spy Wednesday
el Jueves Santo: Maundy Thursday
el Viernes Santo: Good Friday
El Domingo de Pascua/de Resurección/de Gloria: Easter Sunday
El Lunes de Pascua/de Resurección: Easter Monday
bendecir: to bless
los católicos: the Catholics
los cristianos: the Christians
el día de ayuno: the fasting day
las hojas de palmera: the palm leaves
la iglesia: the church
la imagen/el paso: the statue
el trono: the float/throne
Let's hear a couple of these pronounced:
Y el tambor se toca desde Miércoles Santo a las cuatro de la tarde hasta Domingo de Resurrección
And the drum is played from Holy Wednesday at four o'clock in the afternoon until Easter Sunday
Captions 48-49, Francisco Javier de España Su trabajo y su ciudad en La Mancha
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Interestingly, many of the non-religious Easter symbols and traditions that are celebrated around the world actually have religious origins. For example, eggs, chickens and rabbits are symbols of fertility, rebirth and new life that many associate with Jesus' resurrection. However, for many others, these objects and activities are merely fun and festive annual traditions. Let's learn some Spanish vocabulary to describe some of them:
la búsqueda/la caza de huevos de Pascua: the Easter egg hunt
la cesta de Pascua: the Easter basket
el chocolate: the chocolate
el conejo de Pascua: the Easter Bunny
el cordero: the lamb
las flores: the flowers
el huevo de Pascua: the Easter egg
el pollito: the chick
la primavera: the spring
el sombrero de primavera: the Easter bonnet
teñir/pintar huevos: to dye/color eggs
We can hear many of these together in Yabla's video on basic Easter vocabulary, some captions from which we can hear below:
Cinco, caza del huevo de Pascua.
Five, Easter egg hunt.
Caption 9, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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Uno, el conejo de Pascua.
One, the Easter Bunny.
Caption 5, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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Dos, la cesta de Pascua.
Two, the Easter basket.
Caption 6, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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To conclude this lesson, it would be behoove us to know how to wish someone a "Happy Easter" in Spanish:
"Felices fiestas" o "Felices Pascuas".
"Happy Holidays" or "Happy Easter."
Caption 13, Aprendiendo con Silvia Felicitar y expresar buenos deseos - Part 2
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With this in mind, we hope that you have enjoyed this lesson on Spanish vocabulary for Easter... and don't forget to write us with your questions or comments!
As the year draws to a close, it's time to learn the Spanish vocabulary you'll need to celebrate like a native speaker! Whether you're planning to ring in the new year with Spanish-speaking friends or simply want to send heartfelt greetings, these five tips will help you master the most commonly used Spanish words and phrases for this festive season.
While the most standard way to say "Happy New Year" in Spanish is simply Feliz Año Nuevo, you may also hear the following alternatives:
• Feliz Año (short for Happy New Year)
• Próspero Año Nuevo (Prosperous New Year)
• Feliz [year] (Happy [year])
These New Year greetings in Spanish are perfect for toasts, cards, and social media posts during the holiday season!
If you're writing to someone, there's a difference between writing Feliz Año Nuevo (with all three words capitalized) and Feliz año nuevo (with the second two words in lowercase).
In fact, while the former is specifically a good wish for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day holidays, the latter is a more general good wish for the new year ahead. This subtle distinction can help you sound more natural when writing Spanish New Year messages!
o "Feliz Año Nuevo".
or "Happy New Year."
Caption 10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Felicitar y expresar buenos deseos - Part 2
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Nochevieja (literally "old night") is the Spanish word for the last night of the year, or New Year's Eve. Just keep in mind that it is preferable to write the name of this special day as one single word (Nochevieja), rather than as two words (Noche Vieja).
nada más y nada menos que la noche de Nochevieja.
nothing more and nothing less than the night of New Year's Eve.
Caption 8, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 2
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This is one of the most important celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries, filled with unique traditions!
In some parts of Latin America, people burn human-size dolls called años viejos (literally "old years") stuffed with old clothes, newspaper, and firecrackers. This symbolic act represents "out with the old, in with the new," casting off the past year and welcoming fresh beginnings. In some regions, these dolls even "leave a will" (testamento) as part of the tradition, as we can hear in the following clip:
Eh... hay una... hay un rito o... un poco más de Nariño, que es que el... el año viejo deja un testamento.
Um... there's a... there's a rite or... a bit more from Nariño, which is that the... the "año viejo" [doll] [literally "old year"] leaves a will.
Captions 24-25, Viajando con Carlos El año viejo en Colombia - Part 2
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It is difficult to imagine the end of the year in many Spanish-speaking countries without fireworks lighting up the sky at midnight. But do you know how to say "fireworks" in Spanish? The following are the two acceptable terms:
Fuegos artificiales
Juegos pirotécnicos
Regarding the second term, be careful not to mix it with the first and say "fuegos pirotécnicos" instead of "juegos pirotécnicos." This mistake is quite common, even among native Spanish speakers! Let's hear how to pronounce the first term:
Sí, fuegos artificiales con un fondo de violines, me encanta, ¿eh?
Yes, fireworks with a background of violin [music]; I love it, huh?
Caption 39, Yago 6 Mentiras - Part 2
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Now you're ready to celebrate Nochevieja and welcome the new year with confidence! From saying Feliz Año Nuevo to understanding unique Latin American traditions like años viejos, you have all the essential Spanish vocabulary for this festive season.
We'd love to hear how you plan to celebrate! Share your favorite New Year traditions and feel free to reach out with any questions about Spanish holiday vocabulary.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
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