Holy Year & Feast Day

[MarianK]

I am currently planning on walking during the Holy Year and to be in Santiago for the Feast of St James. Has any one on this forum been there for a Holy Year and on the Feast of St. James? I have already tried to book a room at the Parador for the vigil (I was told that is the place to be at for the vigil), and it is already booked up for that night, July 24, 2021. I'm sure it is going to be crazy crowded and wondering if I am crazy and need to plan another time?

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Wow! You're clearly braver than I am!

 

[SabsP]

I guess booking for 2021 is just not possible yet. Might have to try closer to the preferred date.
But yes I agree with @rappahannock_rev : you are very brave to attend the Feast of St James in Santiago.

It will be sheer madness!

Do not expect to get much sleep....

St James Feast Day | An Iconic Day on the Camino Calendar | RAW Travel

Saint James Feast day on the 25th of July every year is the most iconic day on the Camino calendar. Saint James was one of Jesus’ first disciples and the faithful believe that his remains are buried in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Santiago de Compostela celebrates its largest festival of the...

rawtravel.com

 

[strangecreature]

Just my two cents as someone who has studied the revival of the Camino, 2021 is going to be the busiest year for the Camino, by a wide wide margin, in several centuries. Also St James Day is the busiest day in Santiago even on a normal year. With all due respect to the seasoned pilgrims here none of them can really be sure what conditions will be like at the height of the Holy Year because no one has ever experienced anything like the upcoming one. During the last Holy Year the Camino had hundreds of thousands less visitors than it has in a normal year now.

The Camino is experiencing something like 10% growth year over year.

So in summary, this is the singularly busiest day in the history of the Camino in several centuries so if you even have any questions about it, skip it. IF being in the center of the madness is what you want than absolutely DON’T skip it because it will be exactly what you are looking for. Basically it’s all on what you are looking for.

 

[Kathar1na]

I have already tried to book a room at the Parador for the vigil (I was told that is the place to be at for the vigil), and it is already booked up for that night, July 24, 2021.

That is entirely possible but just to make sure: did you get this information from the Santiago Parador themselves or from Booking.com?

If it's from Booking.com, it's just means that Booking.com currently doesn't have any rooms to sell to you for that date. It doesn't mean that the Parador is fully booked!

On the booking webpage of the Parador themselves, they only let you book until the end of 2020. Below are the prices for a room at the Parador during the last week of December 2020, btw. The 31st of December 2020 is not only New Year's Eve, it is also the day when the Holy Door will be opened, so 337 € for a standard room is not surprising. It may be an indicator for the prices to expect for a room on 24 and 25 July 2021 .

 

[Anniesantiago]

What Kathar1na said.

 

[MarianK]

That is entirely possible but just to make sure: did you get this information from the Santiago Parador themselves or from Booking.com?

If it's from Booking.com, it's just means that Booking.com currently doesn't have any rooms to sell to you for that date. It doesn't mean that the Parador is fully booked!

On the booking webpage of the Parador themselves, they only let you book until the end of 2020. Below are the prices for a room at the Parador during the last week of December 2020, btw. The 31st of December 2020 is not only New Year's Eve, it is also the day when the Holy Door will be opened, so 337 € for a standard room is not surprising. It may be an indicator for the prices to expect for a room on 24 and 25 July 2021 .

View attachment 66761

It was directly through Parador, the person from there has been emailing me, updating me, they at first thought I was asking about 2020, and sent me a quote for that, and then later on they realized I was talking about 2021, and they let me know that there is nothing available then, for the vigil. At this point I am on a waiting list.

 

[Isca-camigo]

I tried booking the Parador in August 2009 for the Eve and the holy day in 2010, not a chance. The king turns up, his entourage, assorted holy dignitaries etc etc etc so rooms are put to the side for whoever comes forward from those groups, I was thinking of booking the Parador earlier this year for those dates, it seems like I have missed my chance. Yep it will be crazy on the eve, not sure about the 25th itself, it felt quite relaxed and chilled the time I was there - not 2010. There is a lot of talk of the holy year and how it is going to be crazy, I suggest people search through posts for 2010 and 2011, if 2021goes the same as 2010 but with increased numbers them it will be the last 100km or so that will take the main hit, further out may have similar pilgrims than the adjoining years, but there will definitely be a lot more pilgrims who walk from their homes or countries around Europe.

 

[MarianK]

Thanks, great info.!

 

[MarianK]

Have made a decision to go for it, walking my Camino to reach the celebrations in Santiago for the Feast Day of St. James, in the Holy Year, 2021! Thanks for everyone's input! Buen Camino!

 

[Kathar1na]

Have made a decision to go for it, walking my Camino to reach the celebrations in Santiago for the Feast Day of St. James, in the Holy Year, 2021! Thanks for everyone's input! Buen Camino!

Buen Camino! Are you walking from Muxia/Finisterra - that shouldn't be as crowded as other directions. As to accommodation, somewhat surprisingly, the Parador website now would let me book a room for the 25th of July 2021 (best rate for a standard room is € 372) but it is indeed fully booked for the 24th!

 

[MarianK]

Yes, walking from Muxia/Finisterrea, and that is my hope, that it would not be as crowded. That is awesome you could get in on the 25th! I have told Rui at the Parador, I would take any room if it became available on July 24th!

 

[Kathar1na]

That is awesome you could get in on the 25th!

I didn't book it; I stopped at the point where I have to enter credit card details. I just wanted to point out that it is already possible to book rooms at the Santiago Parador for 2021 on their website because earlier it was not yet possible.

 

[Introibo]

@MarianK
Go for it!
What's the worst that can happen? You end up "sleeping" in a park. It won't kill you.
I nearly didn't travel to see the last total solar eclipse in the UK as people told me it
would be "too busy". Well it was busy, but it was epic.

Buen Camino

 

[Kathar1na]

What's the worst that can happen? You end up "sleeping" in a park.

Santiago may be a haven of safety but I'm still not sure that I would want to spend the night in a park in the town during such a big festival. Admittedly, I've never been in Santiago on the eve of the 25th of July. What's it like, I wonder. All quiet and everyone at home after the fireworks? ...

Anyway, for those who like to book ahead , here's the current situation as to availability at the Santiago Parador in July 2020 and in July 2021. Only one day is fully booked so far:

 

[MarianK]

Santiago may be a haven of safety but I'm still not sure that I would want to spend the night in a park in the town during such a big festival. Admittedly, I've never been in Santiago on the eve of the 25th of July. What's it like, I wonder. All quiet and everyone at home after the fireworks? ...

Anyway, for those who like to book ahead , here's the current situation as to availability at the Santiago Parador in July 2020 and in July 2021. Only one day is fully booked so far:
View attachment 67512

I'm sure I will find another place to stay, however, with not staying at the Parador I hear that I will need to arrive at the square hours before to make sure I am in, because once full it will be closed off. I also get the impression there is little or no sleep on the vigil, still might want to catch a nap before I go to Mass on the Feast Day!

 

[Kathar1na]

I also get the impression there is little or no sleep on the vigil, still might want to catch a nap before I go to Mass on the Feast Day!

This is actually the first time I hear of a vigil on the eve of Saint James' feast day. I looked at the liturgical program for previous years and could only find a Solemn Vesper for the 24th and then the Procession and Solemn Mass on the 25th. Is the vigil an annual event or a Holy Year event?

 

[MarianK]

This is actually the first time I hear of a vigil on the eve of Saint James' feast day. I looked at the liturgical program for previous years and could only find a Solemn Vesper for the 24th and then the Procession and Solemn Mass on the 25th. Is the vigil an annual event or a Holy Year event?

I do not mean vigil in the liturgical sense, but more in the general sense.

 

[MariaSP]

This is actually the first time I hear of a vigil on the eve of Saint James' feast day. I looked at the liturgical program for previous years and could only find a Solemn Vesper for the 24th and then the Procession and Solemn Mass on the 25th. Is the vigil an annual event or a Holy Year event?

Could @MarianK be referring to the "Fogos do Apóstolo"? I guess the Parador is an excellent place to watch the show...

 

[MarianK]

Could @MarianK be referring to the "Fogos do Apóstolo"? I guess the Parador is an excellent place to watch the show...

My Camino mentor told me about the light show displayed on the front of the Cathedral, which you can only see within the square. She told me it was worth the splurge to stay at the Parador on July 24, because the Parador places chairs in front of their hotel, for their guests, to watch the light show. Otherwise, you have to get to the square hours early, to make sure you get in the square before it fills up and the square is closed off.

 

[SYates]

Have made a decision to go for it, walking my Camino to reach the celebrations in Santiago for the Feast Day of St. James, in the Holy Year, 2021! Thanks for everyone's input! Buen Camino!

We might meet on the way as I plan to do the same ;-)
BC SY

 

[GirlOnTheMove]

Hello friends, a little late to this thread but I have a question!

I intended on arriving in SdC in the early morning of July 25th, hoping to be there for the bulk of the feast celebrations.

If I’m not in SdC for July 24th will I be missing out? Should I plan to leave from Lisbon a day earlier? Thanks in advance!

 

[Kanga]

I was going to start a new thread, but this existing one seems appropriate.

I wondered if members had specific memories of past Holy Years?

2005 was a Holy Year. My daughter and I had walked from SJPDP starting mid June, and entered Santiago on the Friday evening before the Feast Day on the Sunday. The path from Sarria was so crowded that we had slept on gymnasium floors, and on the night we were in Arzua we could not find accommodation anywhere and finished up sleeping on park benches in the plaza.

Here is, for me, a very special photo (taken by me). My daughter, getting ready to enter the Holy Door, on the Feast Day itself, July 25, 2005.

 

[MarianK]

I was going to start a new thread, but this existing one seems appropriate.

I wondered if members had specific memories of past Holy Years.

2005 was a Holy Year. My daughter and I had walked from SJPDP starting mid June, and entered Santiago on the Friday evening before the Feast Day on the Sunday. The path from Sarria was so crowded that we had slept on gymnasium floors, and on the night we were in Arzua we could not find accommodation anywhere and finished up sleeping on park benches in the plaza.

Here is, for me, a very special photo (taken by me). My daughter, getting ready to enter the Holy Door, on the Feast Day

What a wonderful memory! Thanks for sharing!

While this would have been my first Holy Year, I now wonder if the Camino would have any resemblance as before? Will one always have to be masked, even while walking?

Will one need to have the vaccine to even enter Spain?

 

[Kanga]

I was hoping to encourage members to post their past experiences of Holy Years.

 

[jungleboy]

Will one always have to be masked, even while walking?

Not while walking on rural paths while social distancing but yes when passing through populated areas and yes when on a path and you see someone coming the other way. See my article How a Pandemic Camino is Different for more.

 

[MarianK]

I was hoping to encourage members to post their past experiences of Holy Years.

I'm sorry, since my original post dealt with questions about the Holy Year, I thought it would be ok to add into my first question. Since this would have been my first Camino, in this Holy Year, I don't have any pictures to post, but fear I never will now, and feel very sad about that.

 

[SabsP]

I'm sorry, since my original post dealt with questions about the Holy Year, I thought it would be ok to add into my first question. Since this would have been my first Camino, in this Holy Year, I don't have any pictures to post, but fear I never will now, and feel very sad about that.

Take a look here. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...rees-2022-also-a-holy-year.69116/#post-891226

 

[VNwalking]

Since this would have been my first Camino, in this Holy Year, I don't have any pictures to post, but fear I never will now,

If not this year, maybe 2022? May it be so for you, @MarianK! (As Sabine has said, we have an extension.)

 

[Kanga]

I realise new members don’t have memories or experiences, but it would be nice if we could stop the thread from turning into yet another discussion about the pandemic - so sad and it’s everywhere we look and this could be a little escape.