The Spanish are a nation, steeped in rich and varied in cultures, with many Festivals (Fiestas) dating back much farther that the ones celebrated at home.

 

Vicki Reily from El Principe has agreed to write a Spanish Culture section for this site, based upon her extensive knowledge of the local area, as many Fiestas in Spain & indeed, The Comunidad Valencia are very localised.

 

As Christmas and New Year approaches, the Spanish have a different way of celebrating and, with many Spanish Fiestas, it generally lasts longer.
Vicki has given a guide to the  different Christmas and New Year festivities celebrated here  in Spain and on the Orihuela Costa..
Enjoy.
 

 Christmas is almost upon us once more, I know it is a sign of age that it comes round so quickly. It almost feels like there are more than one every year!!.

I think part of the reason for that is the avertisements etc. on the British Television start more or less in September so by the time Christmas day actually arrives we have had enough of it. One thing I love about Spain is the resistance to this total hype and early planning, though over the last few years this area has become more commercialised as far as Christmas is concerned, due to the influence of all us expats. However, you can still shop in the Habaneras in Torrevieja or even Nuevo Condomino in Murcia in relative peace and quiet as long as you go in the morning or early afternoon, and not after 5 pm!!

 

Decorating Christmas.
When I first arrived here nearly 13 years ago it was a struggle to find Christmas trees and decorations before the 25th, and we will see that in fact the Spanish traditionally celebrate Christmas in a very different way. As Spain is a predominantly Catholic country, whether practicing or not, Christmas is essentially a religious festival rather than a commercial one. The nativity scene, or “Belén”, is a huge tradition, and most Spanish houses will contruct their own nativity secene, buying new figures each year and passing them down through generations. The Nativity scene displayed by the Ayuntamiento in Torrevieja Town Square is legend, and is a “must see” item. “Belén” is also a popular girl´s name in Spain.

 

Christmas Millionaires.
Another imprtant event , though not so ethereal, is the announcement of the winners of “El Gordo”- “the fat one”or “big one”, on the 22nd of December. This is a massive National Lottery that has taken place since 1812, and the winning tickets take 3 hours to be drawn and the numbers sang out by pupils of the San Illdefonso School. This is broadcast on the television, and Spain more or less comes to a halt as everyone watches the draw and hopes to strike it lucky just in time for Christmas.

 

Christmas is a family celebration in Spain. On Christmas Eve, or “Nochebuena” (literally meaning “good night”) all the family get together in the evening for a special dinner which starts late and goes on to the early hours of the morning. If they are religious, they will attend midnight mass, known as “La Misa del Gallo”, or rooster mass, as it was supposedly the rooster that announced the birth of Christ. Christmas day itself is quite low key, with few presents exchanged as the main day for exchanging gifts in Spain is actually the Epiphany, the 6th of January that we will look at later. However, “Papa Noel” or Father Christmas is definitely more in evidence these days than previously. Boxing day, the 26th, is business as usual in Spain and is not celebrated nor is it a Bank Holiday.

 

The 28th is the next essentially Spanish fiesta. “El Dia de Los Innocentes” or The Day of the Innocents has bloody roots, as it was the day that Herod supposedly slaughtered the children of Judea. However, it has become a day of pranks and practical jokes, with bogus news stories in the papers etc, similar to April Fools day, so don´t believe everything you hear on that day!!

 

New Year´s Eve, or “Nochevieja” (literally “old night”) is a fabulous celebration in Spain. It is considered to be good luck to wear red underwear on this night. The New Year is welcomed in with “Cava” (Spanish champagne) and the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight are counted in while trying to eat one grape for each, representing good luck for each month of the year, if you manage to do it!! It helps if you use seedless grapes! Celebrations go on to 5 or six in the morning, so don´t start too early the night before...

 

January the 6th, or El Día de los Reyes, (King´s Day) is the day that gifts are exchanged in Spain, traditionally being the day the Three  Kings gave Jesus their gifts. Chidren polish their shoes on the evening of the 5th and leave them outside, hoping to see them filled with sweeys the next morning. Most towns have Kings Day parade on the early evening of the 5th, when the Three Kings roam the streets in floats and throw out sweets to the crowds. Make sure your children have a carrier bag to collect them in!!!

“La Rosca de Los Reyes”, a traditional ring-shaped cake is eaten, containing plastic figures which bring luck to the person who gets them in their piece.