How is Christmas traditionally celebrated in Spain?

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Xabier

=) all these people have answered very good xD But I will still answer... It starts on Decmber 24th - January 6th... there is somthing that must be done or a saying about each of the days

You can see from the link some one else has posted =)

I'm in the BasquÃ© country so I will tell you somthing about Christmas here, we do have the Magi - 3 wise men come to our home. but also we have the Olentzero. There are many stories about... him some good some bad... the most common told is that he fat & like's to eat & drink a lot he wares traditonal clothing . he was a sick man.. the fairy found him and made him strong then he worked making charcol, which he give's to children... [it is a good thing] but he died saving children in a fire... so the fairy once again saved him and gave him life for ever and so now he is the Â´Farther ChristmasÂ´ he comes at 1am December 25th - you must walk around the town with a gigant model of him and must Â´oles egiteaÂ´ it mean's asking for sweets or somthing... like HalÂ·loween

there are many songs about him in the Basque Langauge

We still celebrate the Magi on January 6th but we get the main present on Dec.25 but it varies from family to family

michelangelo

Hi barbra b
I live in northern Spain and , in the 6 years have seen many changes to how these lovely people celebrate Christmas.
It is not as commercial here as in the UK, although they are catching up fast. rather than go into a lengthy reply, follow this link which explains in detail what happens on the various dates. Probably the most important day...for the children at least, is Jan 6 when the 3 kings parade each town and the children throw their wish list at them.
A very happy evening spent with the family and sweets being thrown back by the "kings"
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spanish-festivals/christmas-in-spain.htm
hope this helps
Michelangelo

lena

we start christmas on 24th at night. families have dinner together (grand-parents, parents, aunts, cousins...)
on 25th we have lunch together again. these days until 31th are special (shopping, lot of moments with the fmily, friends...)
on 31st we celebrate Â·" nochevieja" we have dinner together again and at night we go out to have a big big party
on1st again a biggggggg meal
and finally, our christmas end at 5th of january when "los reyes mago" (like papa noel) bring us presents you nowXD. Maybe in some families papa noel go to their houses or Olentzero (in the Basque country) but itÂ´s not be usual

rose1

We are lucky. In our house we celebrate twice. We are a family half Spanish and half English so we do all the English stuff. The tree, the presents, the dinner etc, but we start Christmas on Christmas Eve with our Spanish family dinner which is traditionally seafood like prawns, lobster, crayfish etc. There is alot of attention paid to food and drink in any Spanish household but even more so at this time of the year. Then Christmas Day we have our English dinner with crackers etc.
So we get presents on the 25th, but our kids also get presents on the 6th Jan when the Reyes Magos (3 kings) have been. So it's a great time in our house. News Years Eve is the same too.

A good time to look forward to. But before that, I'm off to the UK to buy presents, it's cheaper and i love to see the stores and shopping malls decorated we don't have that in Benidorm!
Have a great one everybody.

a_c_7_3

Ole!

msdeeds1130

eat and drink loads!!

Salva

We get together with all the family the dinner of the 24th December (Nochebuena, or Christma's eve), the Christmas day lunch, the New Year's eve (Nochevieja) dinner and the New Year's lunch.
It's typical to go to a big party the nights of the 24th and 31st, especially the last one, in which we eat 12 grapes for each 12 last seconds of the year and then... partying!!!
The 3 Wisemen Parade is on 5th January and presents are given on the 6th.
We'd rather to give them on the Wisemen's day than in Christmas day, because Santa Claus is not exactly our culture, but is very very widespread, so, is typical to give smaller presents this day.

hansdobson

I lived in Spain for several years. 12 days of christmas begins on Christmas eve which consists of a huge meal with lots of atypical foods. Lots of Nativity scenes around town and people put up trees. Children typicly put out their shoes to be filled with candies and small toys by Papa Noel. Christmas isn't "celebrated" throughout the 12 days but there are other traditions.
The 28th is like april fools day in the US.
New Years Eve is all about bell tolls and eating grapes.
On the last day, January 6th - three kings, there is typically a parade. Most people actually exchange gifts on this day. Children usually make their own "floats" from wagons or boxes to imitate the parade. Lots of flowers (I lived in Cadiz and in Seville in the southern region of Andulcia) were used to decorate.
Overall, not as commercial as the US.

dart

You mean, Dec. 25? Not much happens at all. I think people go to church and that is all.

Presents are exchanged on the 6th January. That is also when any parties seem to happen...roscÃ³n de los Reyes, TurrÃ³n, etc. eaten then.

accioncanario@yahoo.co.uk

in spain they traditionally celebrated on the 6 of january or is it the 7 of january i know it is 1 of them days , i get it mixed up it was good they celebrant the 3 kings, eat and drink lots , and the party go's on 4 weeks.

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