NAVIDAD

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NAVIDAD

• CHRISTMAS
• IN
• SPAIN

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Christmas in Spain

• Christmas is a special time of year everywhere,
  and Spain is no exception! In this predominantly
  Roman Catholic country, Christmas is a month-long
  celebration, beginning with Advent, and running
  through Epiphany in January. It's a time for
  family and friends to get together and enjoy the
  many special foods and fiestas created especially
  for the occasion.

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CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN

• Spaniards do not need an excuse for a fiesta, so
  when there is the Immaculate Conception, the
  winter solstice, the birth of Christ and (three
  days later) Spain's equivalent of April Fool's
  Day (los Santos Inocentes), they really do have a
  good time. Not to mention New Year's Eve and -
  not to be forgotten - Epiphany, or Three Kings'
  Day! It's truly a special month in the Spanish
  calendar

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• Immaculada (8th December)
• Feast of the Immaculate ConceptionThe country's
  patron saint is the Virgin Mary.
• The feast of the Immaculate Conception is a
  national holiday in Spain. It is celebrated each
  year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in
  Sevilla, in a ceremony called Los Seises, or the
  "dance of six." This elaborate dance is now
  performed by not six but ten elaborately costumed
  boys. It is a series of precise movements and
  gestures which are moving and beautiful.

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Hogueras (21st December)Winter Solstice

• In Spain, the Christmas holiday season is full of
  the usual Christmas festivities, but there is one
  tradition, not at all common elsewhere. Named
  Hogueras (bonfires), this tradition originated
  long before Christmas itself. It is the
  observance of the Winter Solstice, the shortest
  day of the year and the beginning of winter. It
  is characterized by people jumping over fires as
  a symbolic protection against illness.

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Lotería de Navidad (22nd December)Christmas
LotteryDecember 22nd is the day of the Lotería
de Navidad (Christmas Lottery). This is one of
the most exciting days of the year, full of hope
and good cheer. Every Spaniard buys tickets for
this lottery, so everybody is looking forward to
knowing which are the winning numbers. All the
media cover the event live.
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Nochebuena (24th December)Christmas Eve

• The night of the 24th (Nochebuena, which means
  "Good Night") begins the "official" Christmas
  celebration. Traditions common to Nochebuena
  include incredibly elaborate Nacimientos
  (nativity scenes). This Spanish tradition is the
  Belén, an old tradition of Italian origins which
  consists in making a miniature Palestinian
  village the night Jesus was born and the
  adoration of the Three Kings.

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• In some places people make live Belenes real
  people play the role of María, Jose, Baltasar,
  Melchior, Gaspar, and a baby plays the role of
  Jesus.

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• Also on Nochebuena, Christmas trees, and
  remarkable Christmas markets scattered among
  villages and cities with piles of fruits,
  flowers, candles, decorations and hand-made
  Christmas gifts. Often on Christmas Eve tiny oil
  lamps are lighted in the Spaniards windows of
  their homes.

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• Traditionally, the family gathers together in
  the grandparents' home, alternating grandparents
  from one year to another, but all the women and
  many of the men help in the preparation of the
  evening meal

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• At midnight on Christmas Eve the ringing of
  bells calls the families to La Misa Del Gallo
  ("The Mass of the Rooster").

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• In religious families, Christmas dinner is never
  eaten until after midnight Mass. It is a family
  feast, and often highlighted with Pavo Trufado de
  Navidad (Christmas turkey with truffles truffles
  are a mushroom-like delicacy found underground),
  though turkey is an adopted American tradition
  which Spaniards have made their own.

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• But the desserts are perhaps the most traditional
  dishes. Spanish Christmas desserts are really
  delicious, and most of them have an Arab origin

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• Polvorones  Made with almond, flour and sugar,
  these children's favorites are very difficult to
  cook so they are bought in the candy shop.
• Turrón  The star of the Spanish holiday
  desserts, made traditionally with almonds and
  honey (even though there are a number of new
  types).
• Mazapanes (Marzipan)  The most famous are
  snake-shaped and are exhibited in the shops, in
  big boxes with delicious coiled snakes, staring
  at the children with gum-drop eyes.

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• After the meal, family members gather around the
  Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols and
  Christian hymns. The rejoicing continues through
  the wee hours of the morning. An old Spanish
  verse says...
• Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no es noche de
  dormir.This is the good-night, therefore it is
  not meant for sleep.

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Navidad (25th December)Christmas Day

• Christmas Day, or Navidad, sees another splendid
  meal at midday which will be shared with family
  and friends. While there is some giving of gifts
  at Christmas, particularly to the children, the
  traditional time of giving and receiving is
  January the 6th, the Epiphany or "Los Reyes.
  (Kings).

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• Christmas Day is spent at church, at feasts, and
  in more merry-making.
• A custom peculiar to Spain is that of
  "swinging." Swings are set up throughout the
  courtyards and young people swing to the
  accompaniment of songs and laughter.

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Los Inocentes (28th December)Innocents' Day
(Feast of the Holy Innocents)

• The 28th of December is Innocents' Day, similar
  in spirit to the American April Fools' Day. On
  this day, people play inocentadas (pranks or
  practical jokes) on friends and relatives people
  make jokes hoping that the victim believes the
  false thing. When people get caught, the joker
  says "Inocente, inocente!" ("Innocent,
  innocent!").

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• The newspapers and other media are in on the joke
  as well, reporting false news for the people to
  figure out.

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Nochevieja y Año Nuevo (31st December/ 1st
January)New Year's Eve and New Year's DayNew
Years' Eve, like Christmas Eve, is also
traditionally a family celebration. All the
members of the family gather together for dinner
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• In modern Spain, many more people "hit the town"
  for the night. Near midnight, people switch on
  the radio or the TV to watch the turn of the year
  at the Plaza del Sol in Madrid. Home or out, many
  "eat the 12 grapes" This is a recent but quite
  strong tradition, and the key is to finish all
  the grapes when the clock reaches the last
  strike, for good luck in the coming year.

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• Then Spaniards wish each other a happy New Year,
  and drink cava (sparkling wine). New Year begins
  in Barcelona like a Carnival party, with people
  in masks in the streets. Some people, especially
  the younger Spaniards, go out all night to
  parties or pubs, until the next morning.

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Los Reyes Magos (6th January)Three Kings' Day
(Epiphany)

• The party-goers may get to have all the New
  Year's Eve fun, but who are the main stars of
  Spanish Christmas? The children, of course!

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• As in many European countries, the children of
  Spain receive gifts on the feast of the Epiphany.
  As a Catholic country, the tradition of the Three
  Kings is very ingrained, even though Santa (Papa
  Noel in Spain) also delivers a few gifts on
  Christmas Eve. But the Kings are still the
  favorites of Spanish kids, so the morning of the
  6th of January is the most important moment of
  the year for them.

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• The Three Kings are particularly revered in
  Spain. It is believed that they travel through
  the countryside reenacting their journey to
  Bethlehem every year at this time. Children
  living in country areas leave their shoes on the
  windowsills and fill them with straw, carrots,
  and barley or the horses of the Wise Men. Their
  favorite is Baltasar, who rides a donkey and is
  the one believed to leave the gifts.

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• The following morning, every single child finds
  presents hidden somewhere in their house. Each
  present has the name of the person to whom it
  belongs written on it. Later that day, the three
  Wise Men are seen everywhere in Spain, visiting
  hospitals, orphanages, etc.

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• Then, on the 7th of January, schools re-open, the
  wheels of business trundle into action again, and
  los españoles look forward to the next fiesta!

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• Feliz Navidad!