Camino during Holy Year

[Crandall]

I am planning to start my French Way Camino on April 21, 2022. The same day I was suppose to start in 2020. Only one small concern. I believe 2022 is going to be a Holy Year. As such, should I expect a lot more pilgrims than normal? Overly crowed albergues? Easter is April 17, so I am thinking immediately following Easter numbers will be lower? Thanks

 

[dougfitz]

There are probably a few different things happening that make any prediction difficult.

I walked in 2010, the previous Holy Year, starting in SJPP just before Easter and arrived in Pamplona on Good Friday. The towns through to Los Arcos were packed, but after that things eased up as the many Spanish pilgrims who were walking for a week over Easter departed. I would expect that something similar would happen every year.

Second, compared to the previous year, the number of pilgrims arriving in Santiago increased significantly. This effect was planned for in 2021, although clearly COVID disrupted that, which would have been a factor in extending the Holy Year observances into 2022.

And third is the impact of COVID itself, which I think is going to be uncertain. Those like you who have deferred and are planning to go will be eager to do that. That will add even more to the numbers. But others might be waiting a little longer to see how things emerge in a post-COVID world. It would be a brave person guessing at the balance here.

Finally, it is not clear that you have walked the Camino before. If you haven't I hope it is a wonderful experience for you. I didn't think much about the fact that I was walking in a Holy Year. To be a little trite, the Camino was what it was, and I had no idea what was normal or not.

 

[C clearly]

I am planning to start my French Way Camino on April 21, 2022. The same day I was suppose to start in 2020. Only one small concern. I believe 2022 is going to be a Holy Year. As such, should I expect a lot more pilgrims than normal? Overly crowed albergues? Easter is April 17, so I am thinking immediately following Easter numbers will be lower? Thanks

We have virtually no experience with walking the Camino in a Holy Year, two years into a pandemic, so nobody really knows what to expect! For example, we don't know if the albergues will continue to have capacity limits (i.e. only 50% of the beds to be occupied).

However, you can be certain that the week leading up to Easter Sunday will be much busier (especially in popular towns, and on the Sarria to Santiago section) than the week afterward when you plan to start. In a normal year, many albergues and pilgrim services get started for the season just before the Easter week.

I would recommend booking your first few days a few weeks before your departure. Then when you arrive on the Camino, you will get a better idea of whether further reservations are needed or not. If so, it is likely that reserving just a few days ahead will be adequate.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have been walking in Spain during a Holy WEEK twice.
Both times the route was very busy and lodgings were packed.
Once was in southern Spain, where we managed to get a room in a youth hostel in Sevilla, as well as lodging in Granada and Cordoba, but we booked ahead.
Once was in Madrid. Again, we booked ahead where we could. It was packed.

I'll be in Manresa for Holy WEEK (Semana Santa) 2022 and we've already booked our lodging. We will hopefully get a bus to Jaca on Easter Monday and start walking from there to meet our groups in Pamplona.

 

[FRM]

I’ve just returned from 18 days walking. I was surprised by the number of people who had no idea what a holy year is, much less that 2021 was one. Spanish pilgrams seemed aware, but that was not the case with the more “touristic” non-Spanish/Catholic walkers. I suspect part of this is that the Camino seems to be less of a pilgrimage and more of a hike for an increasing number of people (not referring to folks on this list who are truely an informed and pilgrim like group).

frm

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

I’ve just returned from 18 days walking. I was surprised by the number of people who had no idea what a holy year is, much less that 2021 was one. Spanish pilgrams seemed aware, but that was not the case with the more “touristic” non-Spanish/Catholic walkers. I suspect part of this is that the Camino seems to be less of a pilgrimage and more of a hike for an increasing number of people (not referring to folks on this list who are truely an informed and pilgrim like group).

Yup! I'm not Catholic, new to the Camino, and doing it more as a hiking experience than a pilgrimage, though I find long distance hiking a spiritual experience. Can someone please explain to me in simple terms the definition of a Holy Year? I suppose I should/will add that to my list of things to research, but a short explanation would be helpful.

 

[Becky 59]

It’s a year when St James’ Day, July 25, falls on a Sunday, is the short answer. There are implications about increased forgiveness of transgressions, I think, but I’m not Catholic.

 

[Bert45]

"It’s a year when St James’ Day, July 25, falls on a Sunday," normally. 2021 is (or was) a Holy Year but covid-19 put paid to the celebrations that would have occurred. So the Pope dec;lared 2022 to be a Holy Year. He can do that – he's the Pope!

 

[Tincatinker]

There are implications about increased forgiveness of transgressions

Increased forgiveness? I like it - on a scale of: I slightly forgive you but I'll remind you every week or so. I mainly forgive you but I'll remind you whenever I need some back-up in a argument. I do actually forgive but thats because I am divine...

Back when Pilgrims walked from front door all the way to Santiago and then turned around and walked all the way home again the survivors were held in high regard. Though the background reasoning probably went something along the lines of - OK, so, how many eons were you planning on spending in Purgatory? Not exactly Hell: but definitely not Heaven. Loads of time to contemplate your aggregated sins and not a lot of Ambrosia.

So: hike to Santiago in a sense of piety, visit the shrine of the Apostle, make confession of your sins. You just got a 50% discount on Purgatory. Do that in A Holy Year and you get a "get out of here ticket"! 100% discount, just present your Compostela at that gate.

 

[ktchnofdngr]

Yup! I'm not Catholic, new to the Camino, and doing it more as a hiking experience than a pilgrimage, though I find long distance hiking a spiritual experience. Can someone please explain to me in simple terms the definition of a Holy Year? I suppose I should/will add that to my list of things to research, but a short explanation would be helpful.

Catholic Pilgrim here--So, a Holy Year, like previously mentioned, is a year when St. James' Feast day (July 25th) falls on a Sunday, or when the pope declares a holy year (2016 was a holy year because the pope called it the year of mercy--if you traveled to various pilgrimage sites/churches, you got special blessings, etc, and the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela was on that list). 2021 was a holy year, but because of the ongoing pandemic, Pope Francis extended that through 2022 as well. The next Jacobeo Holy year after that will be 2027.

Basically, in a holy year, visiting the Cathedral will give you special graces: less time in purgatory (like Tincatinker mentions) is probably the most well-known of them. There are some additional requirements to get those graces, though: going to Confession and taking Holy Communion within a week (before or after) of visiting the Cathedral. Personally, I like to think that the benefit is more because you are willing to make the effort to fulfill the requirements--you are taking a step toward God, and He will then go leaps and bounds toward you. It isn't magical or automatic...

Ruth

 

[lt56ny]

I have been walking in Spain during a Holy Year twice.
Both times the route was very busy and lodgings were packed.
Once was in southern Spain, where we managed to get a room in a youth hostel in Sevilla, as well as lodging in Granada and Cordoba, but we booked ahead.
Once was in Madrid. Again, we booked ahead where we could. It was packed.

I'll be in Manresa for Holy Year 2022 and we've already booked our lodging. We will hopefully get a bus to Jaca on Easter Monday and start walking from there to meet our groups in Pamplona.

What time of year did you walk during the holy years? Just wondering if I have a late October start if I will avoid alot of the mahyem. I was thinking of walking from Faro to Porto, then the coastal, to the Spiritual Variant and and on to Santiago.

 

[trevorcc]

I’ve just returned from 18 days walking. I was surprised by the number of people who had no idea what a holy year is, much less that 2021 was one. Spanish pilgrams seemed aware, but that was not the case with the more “touristic” non-Spanish/Catholic walkers. I suspect part of this is that the Camino seems to be less of a pilgrimage and more of a hike for an increasing number of people (not referring to folks on this list who are truely an informed and pilgrim like group).

frm

Over my previous walks this has become more and more evident, I was surprised in 2018 when at the pilgrim mass they asked those not baptised not to come up to obtain communion and explain how it was a holy act.... But such is life I would rather see people walking and learning about pilgrame than not. Buen Camino.

 

[NanaCookie]

I am planning to start my French Way Camino on April 21, 2022. The same day I was suppose to start in 2020. Only one small concern. I believe 2022 is going to be a Holy Year. As such, should I expect a lot more pilgrims than normal? Overly crowed albergues? Easter is April 17, so I am thinking immediately following Easter numbers will be lower? Thanks

That's exactly when I was thinking of starting for the same reason but I had a friend who started on the Easter weekend in 2019 and she said it wasn't overly busy so I thought I would start a bit earlier eg 7th April. I am interested to hear from others how busy they think it will be. This will be my first visit to the Camino.

 

[Anniesantiago]

What time of year did you walk during the holy years? Just wondering if I have a late October start if I will avoid alot of the mahyem. I was thinking of walking from Faro to Porto, then the coastal, to the Spiritual Variant and and on to Santiago.

I meant to say during Semana Santa. I will go back and fix that post. Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain. So it was during Holy WEEK.

 

[lt56ny]

I meant to say during Semana Santa. I will go back and fix that post. Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain. So it was during Holy WEEK.

No worries Annie my brain has been behind so many things for years!!!!