Hi again everyone!
I hope most of you are getting into the Christmas spirit by now!
Madrid is really festive right now: the streets are filled with light displays, shows and markets, and everyone is running around getting ready for the holidays! I went to a show projected onto the city council building (Palacio de Cibeles), it was so fun to watch! Here are some pictures:
Spaniards are also very religious, so everywhere you go, you’ll be sure to find plenty of nativity scenes. I recently went to Alicante for a trip, which is on the East Coast. I came across a massive nativity display! Alicante is also very famous for its turrón, a popular sweet eaten at Christmas:
Another special tradition is eating the roscón de reyes, typically on the 6th of January. It’s like a giant donut, and before baking it they hide a small toy and a bean; finding the toy brings good luck, but if you find the bean you have to pay for the following year’s roscón! I’ve tried it and it’s delicious (no toy unfortunately though):
The lead up to Christmas here has been really exciting so far, it’s nice to experience the holidays a bit differently!
I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and please comment with any questions!
Feliz navidad a todos!
Lara in Spain 
Is Christmas celebrated differently in Spain?
As I said, people in Spain are very religious; Midnight Mass (mass on Christmas eve) is a big deal for Catholics here, and Epiphany (6th January) is another big holiday where people exchange gifts. People don’t usually take children to pantomimes like we do and boxing day is not a bank holiday like in the UK. Their Christmas meal is usually lamb based or seafood based, different from us as well. As far as I know everything else is the same!
Are there any Spanish Christmas songs?
Feliz Navidad is sung in every corner here! A lot of English songs are sung in Spanish here, for example White Christmas is Blanca Navidad and Silent Night is Noche de Paz.
What is Spanish Christmas food/dinner like?
Polvorones and mantecados are crumbly almond sweets eaten here at Christmas, and turrón is a nougat bar with dried fruits or other things. As for dinner, they don’t have a set meal, but they usually eat lamb, shellfish and seafood in general. They tend to have cold meat and cheese boards too.
Do people spend Christmas with their family?
Yes, they do; people in Spain are very family orientated.
Are there Christmas trees in Spain?
Yes, there are!
Does santa exist in Spain?
Yes he does! There is also another version of Santa in the Basque Country, called the Olenchero.
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