If you would like to discover the popular customs of this region, you should visit Seville in springtime, when within only two weeks take place the two most important festivities of this city: Semana Santa, Easter Week, with its world-famous processions, and Feria de Sevilla, the Flamenco-event in the land.

The traditions of Semana Santa go back to 16^th century, when the Catholic Church decided to present the Passion of Christ to the population in an easily understandable way: they had made huge wooden figures of Saints by the greatest artists of that time and those figures were carried with the processions. The realism of this representation impressed people deeply indeed ., and still today the Sevillanos are cheering the Holy Virgin of their parish church in a way that is often hard to understand for spectators.
Ahead of the procession comes a group of so-called Nazarenos, in long gowns with hoods , behind them Penitents, with crosses on their shoulders, then the figures of the Saints carried by Costaleros, each of whom has to carry a weight of up to 100 kg. All those men are members of a Cofradia, a brotherhood dedicating to organize one of those processions. There are 52 Cofradias in Seville.
Those processions are deeply impressing for the spectator, and thousands of tourists come to Seville each year in Easter week.

All but different is Feria de Abril, taking place two weeks later. Originally it was just a cattle-market, but through the years it turned out to be one of the greatest popular festivities in Spain. You will have the opportunity to see the typical flamenco dresses, which almost all women, never mind their age, wear . Innumerable casetas , provisional houses, are built on the terrain and decorated with colorful lamps. In the morning arrive the landowners on horses or in horse-coaches . In the afternoon starts a great party of Flamenco and sherry-wine in each Caseta that will take all the night long . That is repeated day by day during an entire week.
During this same week take place as well the most important bullfights in town.

In the following weeks there are similar but of course much smaller Ferias in many of the villages and towns around.

Another certainly attractive event for visitors is the Day of Inmaculada. In the night from 7^th to 8^th of December come together all the Tunas (student's fraternities in traditional medieval dresses) of the city - and many of all the country - at the statue of the Virgin Inmaculada, between cathedral and Alcazar, to perform their traditional songs.
The next morning takes place the Danza de los Seises in the cathedral, a dance performance of children as well in traditional dresses.

At the evening of January, 5^th there is the colorful Procession of the three Magi, who pass on horse-coaches and give small presents and sweets to the children.