Old chapel, Spain

Christianity appeared on the Iberian Peninsula from the very first century of its existence and quickly conquered followers for itself - from the 2nd century AD on the territory of modern Spain, Christian communities arose. Spain and religion are two fairly close concepts that are almost inextricably linked.

With the beginning of the Reconquista - the expulsion of the Moors from the territory of the state, passing under Christian flags - the active suppression of Islam begins. And at the end of the ousting of the Arabs, Spain fell under the influence of another religion - Catholicism. From that time, church reforms began to take place. Among them is the approval of the ecclesiastical court, and the holy inquisition, which persecutes heretics throughout the country. All Muslims and Jews who remained on the Iberian Peninsula were forcibly forced to convert to Christianity.

Spanish residents call themselves Catholics, even if they have never been to church and do not agree with Christian doctrine. Nevertheless, they honor the patron saints of the cities, name their children in honor of the Catholic saints, celebrate fiesta on a grand scale, organize weddings, funerals and other Christian rituals. And this does not prevent them from having one of the most liberal views in Europe.

The country has a huge number of churches, cathedrals, monasteries. The institute of pilgrimage is very well developed in Spain; here is the famous pilgrim road to the tomb of the Apostle James, located in the city of Santiago de Compostela. This small mountain town is the third most important Catholic shrine after Jerusalem and Rome. For collective pilgrimage there are special days.

Spain is a country that never ceases to amaze tourists. One of the sides of its distinctive culture that attracts travelers from all over the world is religious life. She is very diverse and colorful here. Religion in Spain can be the subject of a separate excursion route. The country has many existing monasteries, churches, dioceses and ermandad (religious brotherhoods). Numerous services, masses and religious holidays are held, striking in their colorful.

About a third of schoolchildren study in Catholic schools. The constitution of the Spanish kingdom guarantees freedom of religion to all citizens of the country, thanks to which about a dozen religious denominations coexist peacefully in the country. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of Spaniards are Catholics, and the official state religion in Spain is Roman Catholic.

Of course, baptisms and weddings are the most important events that are closely connected with the church. But many holidays in the country are religious in nature. Almost every day has a day of a saint. The Spaniards are going to celebrate the names of their relatives with great joy, marking them almost like their own birthday.

There are peculiarities of certain holidays connected with religion in each region of the country, but all of them are accompanied by an abundance of wine and food, and often processions are arranged. However, Semanta Santa (Passion Week) is the same for all Spaniards. Sinners dressed in high caps, red in color and with slits for eyes, take part in street processions. During the festival, they show scenes of the crucifixion of Christ and torture themselves. Thus, the Spaniards mourn for the Son of God and try to repent of their sins, cleansing the soul.

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