10 Fun Reasons to Celebrate the Holiday Season in Spain.
From towering Christmas trees and dazzling street lights to parades, parties and pooping logs, Spain's knack for pure fun and bizarre traditions doesn't disappoint during the festive season.
Many countries can claim their own weird and wonderful Christmas traditions and favourite foods that owe their origins to a combination of unique folklore and established religions. Spain, of course, is no exception. December is a fun month that melds all the national, religious, and ancient pagan traditions and serves them with a giant heaping of finger-licking food and the all-important family gatherings.
December in Spain kicks off with two national banks holidays, joined together, (by those who can) by a “bridge” - a long three-day holiday. The Day of the Constitution on the 6th commemorates the 1978 referendum on the new constitution, a significant transition from Franco’s dictatorship to a constitutional monarchy and democracy. Two days later, the more pious head to the churches to observe the Immaculate Conception of Mary - created in 1854 by Pope Pius IX who decided Jesus’ mother was conceived without sin and deserves her own holiday.
Many Spaniards use this break to get into the holiday spirit by setting up their trees and decorations, heading to the Christmas markets for a spot of shopping, braving the temporary ice rinks, or meeting up with friends in bars and restaurants to enjoy the festively lit streets.
1. Towering Christmas Trees, Dazzling Lights and Exciting Markets.
Every year the historic city centres battle it out with the most spectacular illuminations and tallest Christmas trees. No expense seems to be spared because they know the resulting splendour draws tourists (and their credit cards) to delight in the enchanting spectacle.
This year (2023) the winner of the tallest Christmas tree surprisingly goes to a small town in Cantabria called Cartes. At 65m, it is also the tallest in Europe, and has already attracted tourists from over the country and beyond, swelling the population of 6000 significantly. It is supported by 40 tonnes of metal and covered in 24,000m of white lights. Visitors can even pass beneath the structure to take photos from within.
Many other cities boast their own stunning trees and street lights, with Granada’s tree coming in second at 57m. The southern city of Malaga outdoes itself every year with its 1.3 million lights adorning its streets, and Vigo in Galicia is increasingly becoming a popular destination at Christmas for its 450 illuminated streets and 40m tree in the Porta do Sol.
And of course, it would not be Christmas without the emblematic markets set up in the streets and squares. Every major city has its stalls selling all things Christmas including decorations, toys, items for Nativity Scenes, artisanal foods, joke items for the Day of the Innocents (see below), and so much more.
The oldest and biggest is the Fira de Santa Llucia in Barcelona set up in front of the cathedral in the Gothic district. It dates back to 1786 and is a hugely popular place to visit between the end of November to the 23rd of December. Another favourite market in Barcelona is the Fira de Nadal with the impressive backdrop of the Sagrada Familia. The Artisanal Christmas Market of Seville has 80 wooden chalets with local crafts from all over the province, while the Malaga Botanic Gardens take their markets a step further with drone light shows and a giant 25 tonne dome lit up with thousands of stars and moons.
Granada, Valencia, and Zaragoza are not to be outdone with their Christmas markets, and last but certainly not least, Madrid’s famous Plaza Mayor Christmas Market is the perfect place to stock up on items for the obligatory Nativity Scene.
2. Nativity Scenes and a Pooping Shepherd.
From the tiniest models to life-size sculptures, the Belenes (Nativity Scenes) of Spain are an iconic addition to every Christmas. Markets sell the figurines of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the shepherds, Wise Men, animals, and angels, as well as other accessories such as stables, mangers, trees, bridges, and other structures and landscapes – everything you need to create your own Bethlehem story. Even the miniature food, baskets, pottery, and tools can be added to make the scene as realistic as possible.
Shop windows, department stalls, squares, churches, parks, and government buildings, and of course, every home exhibits its own Nativity Scene. Entire towns like that of El Escorial near Madrid are transformed into life-sized exhibits created by local artisans and volunteers that are displayed throughout the streets and squares. Many cities around the country have their own life-sized interpretation of the scene, and then there are towns such as Rute in Córdoba which showcases a unique Nativity scene made entirely of chocolate.
But wait – what’s this about a pooping shepherd? I hear you say…
For this we must journey back up to Catalunya where a Belen without a caganer (pooping shepherd) is like a tree without its star (or angel). The caganer originates from the 8th century and is considered a symbol of good luck. His poop fertilises the fields bringing good fortune and a bountiful harvest for the following year. Every Nativity Scene must contain at least one pooper and these days you have the option to choose a famous person who can take the shepherd’s place in the story. Everyone, from politicians, football players, superheroes, or singers and actors can be seen with their pants around their ankles, benignly watching the holy scene unfold before them.
3. Seafood, Jamon, Nougat, and Cava.
Every region in Spain has its own gastronomic specialties that adorn the family tables at Christmas. However, some of the most common around the country includes seafood, in particular, shellfish such as large prawns, langoustines, crawfish, spider crabs and lobsters. Seafood is part of the entremeses (appetizers) served before the main meal along with ham cut directly off a cured pig’s leg and other cured meats and charcuterie. Cheeses, olives, fresh bread, and/or a fish soup are also popular before the main meat dish that follows.
Turkey is not a particularly typical dish to serve at a Spanish Christmas, with most preferring roast lamb or roasted suckling pig, known as cochinillo, sat on a bed of onions and potatoes. Cava (sparkling white wine), cider, and wine help to wash down all the animals, and desserts of buttery mantecados or polverones biscuits, marzipan, and nougat of all flavours and textures served with coffee and a liqueur is a great way to finish the meal.
4. The Fat One Lottery
I’ve included this famous lottery because of its huge popularity and importance during the festive season. El Gordo de Navidad is an annual lottery which is drawn on the 22nd of December and is the most played lottery in Spain.
It was established in 1812 and has become part of the Christmas tradition in Spain as co-workers, family members and even entire villages buy up tickets in the hope of winning a part of the largest lottery prize pool in the world. Billions of Euros can be won across countless tickets held by players all over the world. However, it doesn’t follow the usual method of players choosing their own number, but rather as a raffle where tickets are printed and sold in a series of numbers. When the numbers are drawn on live TV, the country holds its collective breath as the numbers are called out in a sing song chant by children, and then for the rest of the day, watch in envy the continuous coverage of the winners spraying champagne over each other.
5. Christmas Eve Dinner, a Pooping Log (yes, another pooper) and other Pagan Gift Bearers.
Christmas Eve in Spain, as it is in much of Europe, is a bigger deal than Christmas Day. The family gets together for its most important meal at night, and those who are still up for it, later head to church for the Misa del Gallo (Midnight Mass). A few gifts are given, but the most important day for gift-giving is the 6th January (see below).
In Catalunya, another of their pooping traditions involves a log called Caga Tio. This has its pagan origins in the winter solstice and has been part of the Christian traditions since the 17th century. The log has a face, two front legs, a black and red hat, and a blanket, and is placed in the living room where the family feeds it sweets during the month, and where it watches to see who has been naughty or nice.
Once its belly is full on Christmas Eve, the children leave the room or go out to look for sticks to give the parents an opportunity to hide a few gifts under the log’s blanket. Then the family gets together to hit the log with the sticks while singing the Caga Tio song: “Pooping log, almonds and nougat, if you don’t poop well, then I’ll hit you with a stick.”
The blanket is removed and lo and behold, Caga Tio has pooped out a small pile of gifts. This is repeated a few times during the evening, until the last thing left is a potato. Pity the poor children who have been bad, for all they will get is a pooped-out piece of coal.
However, there was a time when coal was a valuable gift to receive during the long cold months. This sparked other legends such as the Olentzero from the Basque Country and Navarra. The Olentzero also has his pagan origins in the winter solstice but has since been absorbed into the Christian story.
The Olentzero was a woodcutter and charcoal maker, an imposing figure always stained black with charcoal dust but with a kind loving heart. One winter the towns’ inhabitants were without firewood and trapped by a heavy snowfall. Olentzero went out to the forest despite the cold and collected wood and coal in sacks which he left outside each family’s door. Since then, he has continued to give gifts of wooden toys for the small children at Christmas.
The red-bearded Apalpador from the mountains of Galicia came down to the towns every 24th to leave chestnuts for the children. He would touch their bellies while they slept to see if they had eaten enough during the year, and then leave a small gift of nuts at the foot of the bed. These days he leaves clothes, toys, and sweets rather than chestnuts, except for the naughty children, for whom he leaves a piece of coal.
6. St Stephen’s Day and Canelons
If you’re in Catalunya during Christmas, it’s worth sticking around on Boxing Day (26th) – otherwise known as St Stephen’s Day which is also a public holiday throughout the region, probably linked to its Carolingian past. In the 9th century, the region was part of the Charlemagne empire while the rest of Spain was under the dominance of the Germanic Goths. People travelled far and wide across the empire to spend Christmas with their family, braving dark dangerous roads, so the 26th was the day to travel the long distances safely back to their homes.
Get yourself invited to participate in a typical meal of canalons (recipe next week) made from the Christmas dinner leftovers stuffed into cannelloni pasta and baked in a cheesy sauce.
7. Pranks and Parties on the Day of the Innocents.
The Dia de los Inocentes is Spain’s equivalent to April Fool’s Day but has its origins in a dark moment in biblical history. Since the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church has observed December 28th as the day when King Herod of Judea ordered the killing of all infants under the age of two born in Bethlehem to prevent the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, from becoming king of all nations, as had been prophesied.
Today, it is the day for humorous pranks, and you can buy hundreds of joke items at many of the Christmas markets. Several towns around Spain enjoy festivals with bizarre traditions such as the flour and egg fight in Ibi, Alicante, or La Danza de los Locos in Cordoba, or the Festival of El Obispillo in Palencia. I’ll be dedicating an entire post to these festivals later this month, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.
8. Twelve Grapes at the Stroke of Midnight
Whoever came up with the idea of swallowing 12 grapes at midnight 31st December was probably a grape grower and a marketing genius. When a tradition is linked to good luck, even non-believers are likely not to take any chances when it comes to stocking up on their supply of grapes – and not the seedless ones mind you. These are hefty seedy grapes that you are expected to consume – one every second at the stroke of midnight – without choking to death.
Those who choose to stay at home have their grapes and a glass of Cava at the ready while they wait for the countdown. The official national countdown takes place every year at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid and is broadcast on TV. Others prefer to pack into the city centres to count down the seconds with grapes in one hand and a bottle of Cava in the other poised to explode upon everyone around them. Bars and clubs organise New Year’s parties and the streets are filled with people who continue to party until the late hours of the morning.
9. The Parade of the Three Wise Men
The most anticipated time for Spanish kids at Christmas is the evening of the 5th January and the morning of the 6th. While the rest of Christendom is pulling down the tree, gluing back together the broken toys, and giving up on their New Year’s Resolutions, cities and towns around Spain are preparing for the Cabalgata – the Three Kings Parade.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, these wise men (Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) came to visit baby Jesus on camels, following the star in the east and bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Today, the quality of the recreation depends heavily on the local councils’ budgets. Thankfully, and probably owing to the influx of immigrants from north Africa, it is no longer as common to see Balthazar portrayed in blackface, but you might still find a few in the smaller towns.
The kings are decked out royally in exquisite garb, crowns and turbans, and either make their appearance on the back of a camel or on an ornate float surrounded by gifts, ferns, and their many helpers throwing out sweets and candy to the children lined up along the roads. Some of the best Cabalgatas are found in Alcoy in Alicante, or Casavieja in Avila. In Logrono, the three kings arrive by army helicopter, landing in the Municipal Stadium of Las Guanas before making their way through the city.
One of the most spectacular is that of Madrid where musicians, dancers, puppeteers, a flock of geese, horse shows, giants and fantasy figures parade through the streets. Many of the live animals, especially elephants have been replaced by life-sized puppets. The night finishes with a loud and mesmerising fireworks display.
10. The Roscon, the Bean and the Toy
The next morning, the day of the Epiphany, children awake to find the three kings have left their gifts under the tree. The rest of the day is celebrated with a meal and the traditional Roscon de Reyes (the Kings’ Cake) – a large donut shaped cake representing a crown, decorated with colourful candied fruits and almonds. Hidden within the cake is a fava bean and a small figurine. Whoever is served the figurine can enjoy good luck (unless they broke a tooth finding it), while the one who finds the bean is required to pay for next year’s Roscon. Roscons can be bought in any of the bakeries, supermarkets, or Christmas markets, but many families choose to make their own. We did and it was mighty yummy (recipe next week).
If you’re spending the Christmas holidays in Spain, there are endless things to see and do. Be sure to try chocolate con churros and indulge in the many sweets and pastries typical of this time of year. Oh, and don’t forget to wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve – it will ensure good luck for the year to come!
As always, extremely well written and researched, Kim. After all these years, I am still learning about Spain. A pleasure to read. Gethin.