helenp

Can anyone tell me the main differences between Christmas in Spain and Uk good and bad and what you miss about the UK. Is it as good for the children I have two girls 1 and 5 and pending house sale will be coming to Spain next year.
Also what do the Spanish eat for Christmas Dinner is it Pork? (correct me if I am wrong)



Helen

mikelincs

Christmas in Spain is, for the Spanish, a religious occasion, and there aren't the presents etc we associate with Christmas in the UK, The main Spanish celebration is Tres Santos, on the 6th January, when there are parades in most towns. The Christmas celebrations are based round the church and the 'belen' or nativity scene that towns have, the one in Torrevieja occupies about 1/3 of the town square, and is a walk round thing, showing scenes from the bible interspersed with local scenes. It is already being built and takes many hours of work, currently hidden behind screens but will be unveiled at the beginning of December and stays till the day after Tres Santos, or as we know it, 12th night. In areas with many Expats, there are more houses being decorated with Santa Claus and reindeer in lights, but nowhere near on the scale of the UK... yet..... You can get Spanish Christmas cards, but they also sell specific cards for Tres Santos. Bank holidays are Christmas day, New Years day and 6th January, and I seem to recall there is another in early January as well, but can't remember the date. Boxing day is NOT a holiday.

gudes

Every area of Spain eats different food that day. In my family - someplace North by the sea - we eat seafood, oysters and sea bream (besugo) and drink cider. But it seems that probably every Spanish family eats turrón (almonds and honey from Alicante, mostly).

helenp

Sounds very pretty it seems that the Spanish have not forgot what Christmas is meant to be about.

Helen

Sue-Tom

We are looking forward to celebrating 2 Christmas next year as my mother will visit and stay for 1 month and our sons will join us for the Spanish Christmas. In the area we are going to fish is eaten but poultry as well. The Jamon from Jambugo also popular . We aim to blend all these with M@S Christmas cake and pud.

I think being able to take options from both celebrations should be fun.

Sue

helenp

Do the Spanish do Christmas trees?

gallerie9

We have been invited to spend our first christmas in Spain with a Spainish family, we are invited Christmas eve and New Years eve. and they do have Christmas trees and lights, the same as the UK.
From what I understand they eat meat, ham and different food and lots of drink. On New Years eve on the stroke of midnight we eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes 12 and then we retire to the Village and drink and party till the early hours.
And then we do it all again on the three kings.
I cant wait.

mikelincs

Not sure about 'real' ones, but there were plenty of artificial ones on sale in Carrefour last year, all sizes you could want.

helenp

Look forward to our hopefully first Christmas in Spain next year I think the children will enjoy it just as much as here.

Helen

rugbymatt

Thought Christmas trees were more of a Victorian thing borrowed from Scandinavians via Bavaria.

lynnxa

our kids enjoy it more here I think.....they can actually use new bikes or skates cos the weather's good!

we usually open our pressies, have a late breakfast then meet friends in a tapas bar by the beach for drinks while the turkey is slowly cooking. Back home for the blow out when it gets chilly - about 4.30ish!

Christmas also seems to be more special......the kids are at school this year til the 23rd..........so it's not a really long holiday


then the big celebration is 3 Kings on the night of the 5th........a procession through town then every child in town gets a gift from the Kings

Andy Pipken

This will be our 3rd Christmas here, I have noticed from the first year here,
to now, a great increase in christmas items tree's,tinsel,etc etc
which is fine I suppose,as long as they don't start putting them out on the shelves in September !!
Don't you feel they ram the whole christmas thing down your neck back in the U.K ?

lynnxa

absolutely.......our first christmas here.......this is our 4th.......you couldn't get cards, decs, anything til halfway through December........which is fine by me

now you can get things in about November, and there is a lot more choice.....and so far, they're not appearing too early

except, of course in the English shops!

helenp

My eldest child would love all that gifts etc We have heard there is a festival where they burst open a pretend bull and all sweets come out when is this ? Telling my children about all of these things makes it easier to make the transition to Spain.

Helen

lynnxa

that sounds like one we have here in late August/ early September just before they go back to school........can't remember what it's called there are so very many of them!