Saturday, 21 December 2013

3 Kings

Christmas in Spain

Christmas in Spain differs in many ways from the normal celebrations in England, the US and other western countries. For a start, it is nowhere near as blatantly commercialised. The Spanish treat Christmas very much more as a religious event. It is very rare to see Christmas lights, displays and produce in stores much before December.
Every town and city will have its streets adorned and decorated with lights and nativity displays. These displays have very important religious meaning and are called the Belén.  Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas. Pointsettiers are everywhere, with their red foliage.

Christmas

Christmas Eve is called Nochebuena (goodnight) and is the most important family gathering of the year.
People will often meet in bars early in the evening for a few drinks with friends then return home to the family and have their main celebratory meal. Fish or seafood starters followed by a roast will be a typical meal. Lamb or pork is the usual fare, not turkey as is the normal custom.
A Christmas sweet called turrón often follows. This is a nougat made from sweetened roasted almonds.
Spanish champagne, called Cava, is usually the preferred drink for the Christmas toast but you can be sure that plenty of fine Spanish wines will also be uncorked for the celebrations!
By contrast, Christmas Day will be a much calmer affair with the family getting over the night before.
Perhaps a visit to a local bar or a stroll through the square might be suggested.
There may be small presents for the children but the main present-giving day doesn’t come until January 6th - Three Kings Day.

The New Year

On December 28th we have Santos Innocentes (Holy innocents) day. This is much like April Fools Day and many people, organisations and the media play the usual tricks and spoofs to join in the fun.
New Year’s Eve is called Noche Vieja (old night) and is pretty much the same as anywhere in the world with much partying into the early hours of the morning.
As everything starts so late in Spain, people tend to stay in until midnight and then go out to celebrate after the traditional 12 Grapes ceremony.
Basically everyone has 12 grapes ready for midnight and at the stroke of midnight one grape has to be eaten on each chime of the clock. This is supposed to bring you good luck for the coming year.
New Year’s Day is a day of rest and recuperation - asprin for headaches!

Three Kings Day.

This starts on the evening of January 5th with excitement, processions and floats in every town.
The Three Kings and their helpers throw thousands of sweets (caramelos) from their floats to all the children and anyone else who comes out to watch.
Every town will have its own special way of celebrating this event. In some coastal towns the Three Kings may arrive by boat before the procession. Or in the ski centre of Sierra Nevada they even arrive by skiing down into the village.
The Three Kings Day proper is January 6th. This is the most important day of the year for the children, who will wake up to find that the Three Kings (los Reyes Magos) have visited and left them presents in the night.
That’s if they’ve been good, of course!
Throughout the day the Three Kings will carry on the good work and visit children in hospitals and in other less fortunate circumstances.
On January 7th it’s all over. Kids back to school, mum and dad back to work, situation back to usual
Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad) to you all. Si Si Si




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