Xacobeo 21·22 | A guide for the Holy Year

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2021 will be a key date for the Camino de Santiago, since the Xacobeo will take place after eleven years waiting. In this video we tell you what this celebration is about and how to get ready to do the Camino in such a special year.

What is the Xacobeo?

Also known as the Holy Year, Jubilee Year, Xacobean Year or Jacobean Year, grants pilgrims who visit the tomb of the Apostle in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence or forgiveness of all sins.

This is what the Catholic church calls earning the Jubilee, something that can only be done in five cities in the world, Santiago de Compostela amongst them.

When does the Xacobeo take place?

The Xacobeo is celebrated every year in which the Day of the Saint James the Apostle (25 July) falls on a Sunday, as established by Pope Calixtus II. These means it is usually celebrated about 14 times each century. The next will be in 2021, after eleven years of waiting and during a very unusual time due to the Covid-19 crisis.

What is the Holy Door?

The best known ritual of this celebration is the opening of the Holy Door, the moment when the Jubilee Year officially begins.

On the 31 December the Archbishop of Santiago proceeds to open this door, using a silver hammer to strike three times on the wall that encloses it as a symbol of the harshness of the Way.

The Holy Door remains open for the next 12 months and, according to tradition, all pilgrims arriving in Santiago that year must use that door to enter the Cathedral.

How to get ready for the Camino de Santiago during the Xacobeo or Holy Year?

If you have decided to do the Camino de Santiago in such a special year, the first thing you need to do is choosing a Jacobean Route. To help you out with that task, you can find information on each of the main Routes, stage by stage, here: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

You can also find lists of over 4.000 accommodation along the different Caminos:
• Camino Francés: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino Portugués: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino Primitivo: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino del Norte: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino Inglés: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino a Fisterra y Muxía: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Vía de la Plata: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino de Invierno: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

• Camino Sanabrés: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

You can find more information on the coronavirus and the Camino de Santiago (safety measures, restrictions…) on this post, that we update frequently: https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en...

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¡Buen Camino!
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