Christmas in Spain
The first thing that the visitor will notice is that
Christmas in Spain is not as huge a commercial occasion as is
the case in many other western cities. Christmas lights are usually
lit in the main cities in the first week of December by which time
the shops are fully stocked with Christmas supplies. Nothing like
the US and UK where the end of summer marks the build up to
Christmas.
Christmas trees are common in the home but again they
don't appear until the second half of December. Also in the home
there intricate, miniature nativity scenes called Belénes
which depict life in the village where Jesus was born. The Belén
always include the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph as well as the Three
Kings, Baltasar, Melchior and Gaspar.
The chronological order of notable Christmas events in Spain
is as follows:
December 8th - This is the public holiday of
Immaculada (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) which marks the
beginning of the religious Christmas celebrations. Most notable in
Seville.21st December - In a few cities including Granada
the celebration of Hogueras (bonfires) takes place. This date
marks the winter solstice (shortest day) and where it is celebrated
involves people jumping through fires to protect themselves against
illness.
22nd December - All over Spain people never stray far
from a TV or radio as the Christmas lottery is drawn over a
period of many hours. Everybody in Spain buys tickets for this
lottery in the hope of winning El Gordo (the fat one) and the
winning number usually means that a good number of people from the
same village become a lot better off overnight. Besides the big
three prizes there are thousands of smaller prizes shared by people
all over Spain.
24th December - Christmas Eve is called
Nochebuena in Spanish (Goodnight) and it is the most important
family gathering of the year. In the evening people often meet early
for a few drinks with friends then return home to enjoy a meal with
the family. Most bars and restaurants close in the evening. Prawn
starters followed by roast lamb would be a typical meal rounded off
with a typically Christmas sweet called turrón which is a
nougat made of toasted sweet almonds. Another typical
festive sweet is called Polvorones which is made from
almonds, flour and sugar. Cava, Catalan champagne, would be
the chosen drink for the Christmas toast though plenty fine Spanish
wines will also be consumed with the meal.
25th December - Children may receive a small gift
on Nochebuena or this morning but the day for presents is 6th
January, Epiphany, when the Three Kings bring gifts for the
children. Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain so shops are
closed yet it is not a day of great celebration but rather a calm
day when people go out for a walk, drop into a bar, etc. Another
large family meal at lunchtime is common though it's becoming more
common to see families eating out on the afternoon
of Christmas day.28th December - This is the day of Santos
Inocentes (Holy Innocents) and is the equivalent of April
Fools' Day when people play practical jokes on one another.
Often the national media will include a nonsense story in their
broadcasts. In some villages youngsters of a village light bonfires
and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to carry
out civic tasks such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply
results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.
31st December - New Year's Eve is known as
NocheVieja. It is a big celebration all over the country with
street parties and special nights in hotels and clubs everywhere.
Until midnight people tend to stay at home and on the stroke of
midnight it is traditional to eat 12 grapes, one on each
stroke of the clock to bring good luck for the new year. In Madrid
and other main cities revellers congregate in the main square
(Puerta del Sol in Madrid) and eat the grapes along with a
celebratory
bottle of cava then head out into the night until after sunrise.1st January - A low key public holiday with plenty
people sleeping off their excesses.
5th January - There are processions all
over Spain this evening where sweets are thrown from the floats to
all the people who come out to watch. Every town has its own
variation such as in the Sierra Nevada where the Three Kings can be
seen to ski down to the village.
6th January - This is the Feast of the Epiphany
when the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem. For Spanish children this
is the most important day of the year when they wake up to find that
Los Reyes Magos (the Three Kings) have left gifts for them in
their house. Santa may leave them a token gift on 25th but the Three
Kings are their favourites, especially Baltasar who rides a donkey
and is the one believed to leave the gifts. During the day of 6th
the Three Kings continue their good work and are seen distributing
gifts to children in hospitals all over Spain.
7th January - The day after receiving their gifts
children return to school, their parents go back to work and
Christmas in Spain is all over for another year.
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