Describing religious celebrations and festivals in Spanish

• Adjectives are useful for giving more information on opinions.

• Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe.

• Use adverbs of frequency to describe how often religious celebrations and festivals occur.

• This guide contains reading and listening practice.

Religious celebrations

Did you know?

The Spanish word for 'Easter' is Pascua, but it's more common to see Easter referred to as Semana Santa (Holy Week). This is a time when many festivals take place across Spain and Latin America.

Faith groups

Useful adjectives for describing religious celebrations include:

Use adjectives when giving opinions to give more information.

Remember that adjectives need to agree with the noun they describe in Spanish.

For example:

• un desfile animado - a lively procession

• una fiesta divertida - a fun festival

The endings of the adjectives animado and divertida have changed to match the gender of the nouns before them.

When the noun is plural, the adjective describing it ends in s. For example:

• los desfiles animados – the lively processions

• las costumbres católicas – the Catholic customs

Adjectives which do not end in o do not change according to gender, but add es when the noun they describe is plural.

For example:

• el disfraz tradicional – the traditional costume

• los disfraces tradicionales – the traditional costumes

• las celebraciones especiales – the special celebrations

Find out more about adjective agreements in the Adjectives in Spanish guide.

Read the descriptions below and work out which festival is being described. There is one option too many.

Useful nouns to describe religious celebrations include:

Other useful nouns include:

Useful verbs include:

For example:

Semana Santa es una celebración católica cuando hay desfiles religiosos. - Semana Santa is a Catholic celebration when there are religious processions.

Se viste en disfraces tradicionales. - One dresses up in traditional costumes.

Navidad es una fiesta cristiana que celebra el nacimiento de Jesucristo. - Christmas is a Christian festival which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Mucha gente va a la iglesia y canta para celebrar su vida. - Lots of people go to church and sing to celebrate his life.

Eid es una fiesta musulmana cuando las familias celebran el fin de Ramadán y comen juntos. - Eid is a Muslim festival when families celebrate the end of Ramadan and they eat together.

All vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.

Common Spanish adverbs of frequency include:

The position of the adverb of frequency can vary. They can go:

• after the verb they modify

• at the beginning of the sentence

• after the verb

• as the last word of the sentence

The position of the adverb of frequency depends on where the emphasis is in the sentence.

For example:

Siempre damos regalos a la familia durante Eid. – We always give presents to the family during Eid.

Durante Semana Santa a menudo vemos los desfiles. – During Semana Santa (Easter Week) we often watch the processions.

Se celebra la Navidad cada año. – One celebrates Christmas every year.

The position of nunca and casi nunca

If nunca or casi nunca are not placed before the verb, you need to add no.

For example:

María nunca va a la iglesia en Nochebuena. – Maria never goes to church on Christmas Eve.

Daniel no celebra la Navidad nunca. – Daniel never celebrates Christmas.

Listen to the description of Semana Santa (Easter Week) in Mexico and complete the activity below.

Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when describing religious celebrations and festivals.

Now you have revised the important vocabulary and key grammar points for talking about religious celebrations and festivals, why not have a look at the Describing free time activities in Spanish guide?