San Juan de la Rambla Relocates Holy Week Traditions Amid Church Restoration
San Juan de la Rambla is relocating its traditional Holy Week services to temporary venues while the San Juan Bautista Parish Church undergoes essential restoration work.
Holy Week in San Juan de la Rambla will look a little different this year. Because the San Juan Bautista Parish Church is currently undergoing restoration work led by the Tenerife Island Council, services have been moved to temporary locations. Despite this change, the community remains as committed as ever to its centuries-old traditions.
The town’s heritage is defined by three key liturgical events. The most significant is the 121-year-old sepulcher ceremony. On Good Friday, following the Great Procession, the statue of the Deceased Lord is placed inside a wooden sarcophagus crafted by Leoncio Borges Aguiar in 1905. This solemn ritual—marked by the Alcaraván Band falling silent and the lights being extinguished—will be held in the Parish Cemetery chapel this year due to the church’s closure.
Easter Sunday in the town also features a unique local custom: the presence of birds inside the church, which adds a distinct sound to the service. Afterward, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament winds through the historic town center, where the streets are traditionally decorated with beech branches.
While the town no longer hosts the live Passion plays that once drew large crowds, the community’s dedication to its core traditions remains strong. Moving these rites to temporary spaces highlights the town's commitment to preserving its cultural identity while essential restoration work on its historic architecture continues.