Barcelona Easter 2011: processions and chocolate!

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- There are lots of things to do at Easter in Barcelona. It's an important celebration for Christian tradition and a yearned week for children.

The Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday and Christian families meet outside the churches at 12.00 p.m. They put their best clothes on and stand holding palm and olive branches. The priest welcomes everybody and blesses them. It's nice to see families together and the crafty palms children carry. As tradition says, they are a present from their godmothers. Once everyone has received the priest's blessing, it's mass time. However, some families prefer going to a bar and have some drinks together.

Children have a week off and adults work until Good Friday. Eating meat is not allowed according to Christian tradition. So, Barcelona offers other delicious fish alternatives, specially different forms of cod; as well as traditional sweets which are only eaten at Easter, such as "pestiños" or "buñuelos".

It is on Good Friday when the most important processions are held. The most spectacular ones are in Andalusia but Barcelona holds two important ones on Good Friday, too. The people taking part in them carry heavy crosses as a sign of sorrow for Jesus' dead.

There are other processions on Easter Sunday. This time, though, hoods are removed as a sign of happiness because Jesus is alive. Families get together and have sweet treats after the long lent.

But Easter in Barcelona has not finished yet. People in Catalonia don't work on Easter Monday because it is a public holiday. It's the best Easter day for children because their godfathers give them a traditional Catalan chocolate cake called “mona”. These cakes were originally huge donuts with boiled eggs. Some time after, chocolate eggs became popular. But now, pastry cooks make pieces of art. Monas are crafty chocolate cakes representing famous characters, both cartoons and humans, as well as buildings, places and stories.

Children's favorites are cartoons like Sponge Bob and human idols like Messi. Pastry cooks places these cakes, which are usually decorated with colored feathers, little chickens and other tiny toy figures, at the windows of their bakeries. Monas look mouthwatering and impressive. So one of the best things to do at Easter in Barcelona is getting around and stopping at the bakeries to have a look at them. You can also buy one as there are different sizes and prices.

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