Christmas in Spain

Where in the World is Spain?
Spain is a country located on the continent of Europe.  It is south of France. On one side is the Atlantic Ocean and on the other side is the Mediterranean Sea. The people in Spain are called Spaniards. The language they speak is also called Spanish. A holiday greeting in Spain is Felices Pascuas. It means Merry Christmas.

When is Christmas celebrated in Spain?
Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th. It is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The weather during the Christmas season is mild with rainy winters and warm temperatures. In the mountain regions, they get heavy snow.

On Christmas Day some families go to church. After the family Christmas feast everyone gathers around the Christmas tree and sings Christmas carols and songs about Jesus.  They spend this day with their families.

Most families in Spain celebrate Christmas Eve with their grandparents. All the adults help with the evening meal that begins around 10 p.m.  Families celebrate in their homes with music, laughter and dancing.  In many towns, people can be seen playing musical instruments and dancing along the streets or in the town squares.  In the northwest part of Spain, the bagpipe is a popular musical instrument and in the southern part of Spain, the castanets are a popular musical instrument. The church bells ring in many towns to welcome people to midnight mass. Some families go to midnight mass.

The Christmas season begins around December 18th and continues until January 6th, Los Reyes (this means The Kings) or Feast of the Epiphany. On the night before January 6th there are parades in the towns and sweets or little gifts are thrown to the children on the street.

Is there a special Gift Giver?
Santa Claus does not leave gifts.  The Three Wisemen are their Gift Givers.  They do not get gifts until January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany.  The Three Wisemen bring their gifts just as they did the night Jesus was born.   The children leave their shoes out and in the morning, their shoes are usually full of toys and fruit. The children leave barley out with their shoes for the camels who carry the Three Wisemen.

How do the Spaniards decorate their houses?
Most families decorate a Christmas tree.  If they live in the city or in an apartment, it is not unusual to find the tree out on the balcony.  If they have a big home, the tree is located in their house. In the holiday markets you will find ornaments that look like Christmas trees. 

Many homes have holiday wreaths hanging on their doors.

What special foods do the Spanish eat?
On Christmas Eve they like to eat sweet meats of Turron (nougats) and mantecas (butter based biscuits) with Cava (Spanish champagne).

On Christmas Day they eat a meal of turkey and truffles which are like mushrooms.

On the night before Los Reyes (The Three Kings) they like to eat a pastry called Roscon de Reyes. It is in the shape of a ring and decorated with fruit and nuts. Inside of this pastry is hidden little surprises called "sorpresas."

What are some other special traditions?
Streets are lit up with bright lights after the Buena Noche which means the Good Night. As the stars begin to appear in the night sky, tiny oil lamps are lit in the houses and usually the Virgin Mary is lit up brightly with a tall thin candle placed in front of her picture.

In many manger scenes throughout Spain, you will see a small stream where the women would wash the clothes along with Spanish bulls and donkeys. Sometimes you will see important people and figurines of Bull Fighters in their manger scenes.

In some towns they have swings put in the center of their town.  Children are invited to swing and they try to swing very high and try to have their toes touch the sun.  This is hoped to bring spring early.

Some families travel to the village square to visit the "Urn of Fate."  Everyone writes their name on a piece of paper and puts it into the urn.  Then someone pulls two names out of the urn at the same time.  Those two people are to become best friends for the next year.

Fiction
Josefina's Surprise: A Christmas Story by Valerie Tripp and Jean-Paul Tibbles

Nonfiction
Christmas in Spain. World Book