Christmas Holidays
Christmas holidays are just around the corner and whole Spain is getting prepared already. This special event is celebrated whole over the world.
The most important days on those days are:
December the 24th
Noche Buena, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a big dinner with the family and it’s typical singing Christmas carol «villancicos» . In Catalonia, before that dinner children get some presents from «caga tió» which is a piece of wood with funny face and four legs wearing a red hat, kids get some presents after singing a song and hit caga tio with a stick gently.
Kids sometimes get one present in the evening, which Santa Clause brings.
December the 25th
Christmas Day is national holiday in Spain and some kids get a present in the morning from Christmas father «Papa noel» . This day is for staying at home having a nice meal with the family
December the 28th
Santos Inocentes, Holy Innocents day is like April Fools’ Day. People try to trick each other with stories and jokes.
December the 31st
Called as Nochevieja, the New Year’s Eve. This is the last day of the year. Spanish people have a special ritual: 12 grapes before midnight, one grape per stroke, if you fulfil that successfully, it means you have good luck in the New Year. After that people make a toast with «cava» and celebrate that the new year is starting having a party until the sun is rising on the next day.
January the 1st
Is a public holiday nearly everything is closed and Spanish people usually stay at home to sleep or go out for lunch with family or friends.
January the 5th
This day is the most magical day for children. In the evening family and children go to see the «cabalgata de los reyes magos» to give to the three kings a letter where each child has noted the present they want for the dat 6th of January. Kids has to go to the bed early if they want to get some presents, but before that it’s typical to leave some food and beverage for the three kings on the living room.
January the 6th
Día de los Reyes Magos, the Feast of the Epiphany, Three Kings Day, is when the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem to bring presents to baby Jesus. On this day the long waiting has an end, finally the kids are allowed to open their gifts in the morning. It is a day where the whole family and friends get together to have a big lunch and sit together for drinks.
