English and the World · Spain · 47 · Seville · A1–C2 · A1–A2 free
Candles, incense and silent crowds in the streets at night, and then, two weeks later, a city of tents, horses, flamenco dresses and dancing until dawn. Choose your level.
Semana Santa, in March or April
In the week before Easter, Seville has its famous processions. Big, heavy platforms with statues of Jesus and Mary move slowly through the streets, with candles and flowers. Men under the platforms carry them, but you can’t see them. In front walk hundreds of people in long robes and tall pointed hoods.
Thousands of people watch in silence. Sometimes a person on a balcony sings a short, sad song, a saeta. There are processions every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, many of them late into the night, and the most famous ones walk through the night before Good Friday.
La Feria, two weeks later
Usually two weeks after Easter, the city changes completely. At the fairground there are more than a thousand casetas, small tents with music and food. Women wear colourful flamenco dresses, people ride horses, and everyone dances sevillanas.
“Let’s go to the Feria tonight!” “Good idea. Shall we take the bus?” “Why don’t we walk? It’s not far.” “OK. How about going to the funfair first? The children love it.” “Let’s do that!”
🦉 Want more? Sophia explains shall and the other modal verbs in How Sure, How Allowed, How Obliged (Philo & Sophia, Lesson 6).
Language: making suggestions
| Form | Grammar | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Let’s | + verb | Let’s go to the Feria! |
| Shall we …? | + verb | Shall we take the bus? |
| Why don’t we …? | + verb | Why don’t we walk? |
| How about / What about …? | + -ing or a noun | How about going to the funfair? |
| answers | Good idea! / OK, let’s! / I’d rather not. |
⚠️ After let’s, shall we and why don’t we, use the verb alone: Let’s go, not ✗ Let’s to go. After how about, use -ing: How about going?
Read the texts first. Press “Check my answers” at the end.
Choose the best answer.
1. When is Holy Week?
2. Who carries the platforms?
3. What is a saeta?
4. What are casetas?
Write the missing word.
5. go to the Feria tonight!
6. we take the bus?
7. Why we walk? It’s not far.
8. How going to the funfair first?
Write the correct form of the verb in brackets.
9. Let’s the procession from the bridge. (watch)
10. How about sevillanas? (dance)
11. Shall we some churros? (buy)
12. Why don’t we home now? It’s very late! (go)
Go there!
Visit: in Holy Week, find a place near the Cathedral or in a narrow street, and wait quietly: the processions are a religious event, so be respectful. For the Feria, go to the fairground in the Los Remedios district, see the giant gate of lights, and visit one of the public casetas, which are open to everyone.
Your task: write a short dialogue: you and a friend are planning a day at a festival. Use Let’s, Shall we…?, Why don’t we…? and How about…?
It tells how a week of silence and candlelight is followed, two weeks later, by a week of music and dancing, who carries the floats and why you never see them, what the pointed hoods really mean, and how a cattle fair became Seville’s great party, with grammar, practice, etymology and a visit plan.
The A1–A2 version above is free for everyone.
It tells how a week of silence and candlelight is followed, two weeks later, by a week of music and dancing, who carries the floats and why you never see them, what the pointed hoods really mean, and how a cattle fair became Seville’s great party, with grammar, practice, etymology and a visit plan.
The A1–A2 version above is free for everyone.