If you have heard about it hundreds of times but it is still not clear to you What is the Xacobeo or Jubilee year and when is it celebrated?, reading this post will come in handy, because we explain everything in detail. The Jubilee or Xacobeo year is a Christian holiday that is celebrated every time July 25 falls on a Sunday. Now, why this day? Well, because it is the day of the apostle Santiago el Mayor. A Xacobeo or Jubilee year, moreover, is a Holy Year. You’ll also see it on some sites like ‘Jubilee Year’.
As it is every Sunday, July 25, the festivity does not have ‘fixed’ dates, however, it follows a pattern of 6-5-6-11, that is, these figures represent the distance between the holy years in time. The last Jubilee year was in 2010, so the next one will be six years from now (in 2027).
What is the Xacobeo or Jubilee year?
As we have pointed out before, it is a holy year in which all the sins of those who visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and make a series of steps are forgiven. Its creation dates back to the year 1126 during the papacy of Calixto II.
It is important to note that this celebration must be part of the important campaign carried out by Bishop Diego de Gelmírez to ensure that Compostela represents a Catholic point of reference in Europe (alternative to Rome).
When is the Xacobeo or Jubilee year?
Every year is Xacobeo when July 25 (day of the apostle Santiago el Mayor) falls on a Sunday. The frequency of this year varies, obviously, depending on whether the day of the Apostle James the Greater falls on a Sunday or not, however, it has been detected that it follows a pattern that is as follows: 6-5-6-11. This means that, if the last Xacobeo year was 2010, the next will be 2027, the next 2032, then 2038 and, ‘finally’, 2049.
How is the Xacobeo or Jubilee year celebrated?
This year is particularly awaited by a large part of the Christian community because it means the forgiveness of all sins or ‘earning the Jubilee’. In fact, only in these years The Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago opens.
To earn the Jubilee you need to perform these three steps:
- Visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
- Pray and go to mass, also ask for the pope and take communion.
- It is important to go to confession 15 days before the trip or after it (but not too far away).
Alternatively, if you cannot travel to Santiago, you can also go through the Door of Forgiveness in the town of Villafranca del Bierzo.
Many of the researchers who have dedicated themselves to carrying out analyzes on the impact of these festivities or celebrations today highlight the ‘turn’ that these festivities have recently taken, especially of a tourist type, that is, it is no longer just Christians who travel to Compostela on these dates to be forgiven.
It should be noted that this year, as a result of the situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic the Jubilee year will be celebratedunprecedentedly, between the years 2021 and 2022.
We invite you to continue learning about Santiago Apóstol and why this saint is so important in Spain: