Christmas Facts About Spain

The olentzero as this pipe smoking farmer like legend is known became the alternative to santa claus and the three wise men for more militant basque parents in the 1970s.

Christmas facts about spain. We moved to spain many years ago and were surprised by the christmas customs. 5 fun facts about christmas traditions in spain. It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that jesus was born. The basque father christmas.

Held just before christmas in spain the country s national lottery el gordo the fat one had a total prize fund of 2 24 billion in december 2019. Move over santa because there s a fatter more rugged version of you living in northern spain. Christmas in spain is celebrated over several weeks with a focus on spending time with family eating great food and honouring traditions many of which are centuries old. We all know that spain does great food and at christmas they have some great festive specialties.

While many of the typical festivities may be familiar there are certainly some which could surprise you if you re spending christmas in spain for the first time. The main crimbo meal normally takes place on 24th december christmas eve and they eat the obligatory serrano ham but seafood and fish also play a big part in the menu especially king prawns for dessert there is the almond sweet turrón and the roscón de reyes a cake filled with whipped. Christmas in spain each year between december 24 and january 6 spain comes alive to celebrate christmas or navidad in spanish. It is a model of the stable with la sagrada familia the holy family.

A christmas tradition unique to the catalonia region is the caga tió or pooping log essentially it is a piece of log which has been dressed up with the addition of small wooden legs a face a blanket and a barretina catalan hat. The best christmas present ever. Children keep the caga tió in their homes or schools in the run up to christmas and feed it small pieces of bread or orange peel each evening. Well in spain that might just happen.

Today s post is an inside view into the traditions of christmas in northern spain written by my friend and fellow missionary lou ann keiser. Christmas in spain the actual proper holiday lasts a full 14 days from december 24 through january 6. You could make the case that christmas in spain is a month long event. This doesn t include christmas related holidays like inmaculada on december 8 día de santa lucia on december 13 or the big lottery drawing on december 22.

During the christmas period most spanish houses will have un portal de belén a christmas nativity scene. Fancy becoming rich this christmas. You can say un belén for short. Christmas eve is known as nochebuena.

During this time of the year everyone strives to fill their days with happiness joy and family harmony although some are more successful than others. El belén can be very beautiful and elaborate.