Holy Week in Híjar (Teruel)

Holy Week celebration in the city of Híjar in which activities are centred around the drums.

Híjar celebrates one of the oldest 'tamborradas'. It is said that its origins go back to a request by the Duke of Híjar to the Franciscans, in 1517, for a Holy Week celebration with a decidedly penitential tone.

Known as the 'tamborrada', the beat of the drum is at the centre of Holy Week, just like in other towns in Lower Aragon, along the so-called Drum Route. The fiesta begins at midnight on Maundy Thursday with the 'rompida' or the beginning of the 'tamborrada' (the beating of the drums), following a signal from the mayor. The drums sound all night until 2:00 in the morning, when a type of procession, known as the 'rosarieros' or wakers-up, begins. They make 14 stops, corresponding with the 14 stations of the Via Crucis, singing old songs. Once finished, the drumbeats are continued by men dressed in black tunics. Women may only participate during the second night from Friday to Saturday, and just for a short while.