Christmas plans?
 

Hi Everyone!

We're feeling so settled and happy here in Conil that we think we're not going to bother going back to the UK for Christmas now. I just wondered what everyone's plans were for Christmas and whether you are having a traditional Christmas dinner or not?

I'd also love to know of any Christmas festivities that happen over here in Spain!

:thumbsup::):D:lol::wub::thumbsup:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Now that we're (just) half way through November I'll grudgingly agree to answer a question about the C word:p
OH booked us a week in our timeshare on the coast taking in Christmas day; I'm normally a bit anti not being at home for Xmas day, but not having a huge family around us (in fact no family at all except my daughter coming from Boxing day for a week....) it kind of doesn't seem the same so we'll either be at a somewhat expensive & luxurious hotel Christmas shindig - goodness knows how 7yo will deal with it...!!! or buying up M& S goodies & doing the best I can muster in the timeshare. Christmas festivities in Spain as I see it involve jamon, polverones & other biscuity things, and the 3 kings. But someone else will flesh out the detail;)

Re: Christmas plans?
 

We are staying in Spain over Christmas. We will have a big dinner - I would love to get a joint of lamb this year as we haven't had lamb in ages and ages. It is so expensive here, but seeing its christmas.

I like it that Spain doesn't go too mad like the Uk at Christmas. But I suspect it will become more commercial as the years go by and are influenced more by America/Britain and the tv. Shame really.

The 6th January is THE big day. It is when the presents are exchanged, usually. Although I have been told by my Spanish student that 25th December is becoming popular also a day to give a present.

The idea is that some parents want their kids to play with the new toys over the holidays.

And don't forget the big Christmas lottery. Must get a ticket! Practically every spanish person has a ticket for El Gordo.

:)

Re: Christmas plans?
 

A ticket? un décimo, probably. A ticket is about £200, isn't it?:confused:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Yes that's right, got a bit carried away....20 euro each thingy:).

Re: Christmas plans?
 

We have Spanish friends flying over hopefully (Ryanair) for three days from xmas eve.

They want the full English traditional trimmings, including Xmas pudding.:unsure:

Boxing day I guess will be spent shopping.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

You should take them to a traditional fox hunt meet.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

:blink::thumbdown:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

But there's no fox killing nowadays (well it's only allowed "by accident"). So you get to see the pageant and the toffs on their horses without any blood. Got to be better than going to the Sales?

Re: Christmas plans?
 

They find the UK cheaper for shopping.

As for the Fox hunt, that is just a weird suggestion, I doubt a Spaniard would understand the point of all that chasing in the cold.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

To be fair I don't think 90% of Brits understand it either. Just an excuse on Boxing Day to get some fresh air, take some scenic piccies and then head for the pub! As I said it beats shopping hands down, but there again if they've only one day to get the shopping down, fair enough.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

We usually walk the dogs on the beach and cliff near us.

I doubt they`d be impressed on a windy beach in December.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Anything like the one near me, you can't park for miles around, it's incredibly popular.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

:banghead:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Thanks for the ideas, we're thinking a gourmet picnic on the beach sounds good and of course presents!!! I also have to decide what to do for my birthday.:D:D:D:D

Re: Christmas plans?
 

It’s funny, we try and follow Spanish traditions, but Christmas in an ‘English’ area means a traditional Christmas meal with all the trimmings and we love it. We will sit there with our funny hats and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. We haven’t booked it yet, the choice is horrendous.

In fact, we have more than one Christmas celebration, our first one is on 10th December, only three weeks away. It’s our slimming club, a non-working one, celebration. We haven’t lost an ounce over the last ten years.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Don't be so naive. There is plenty of illegal fox hunting still going on. Didn't the conservative party recently state they would look at re-legalising fox hunting?
Bunch of barbaric inbreds IMO.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Amazing how quickly an innocent post asking about Christmas in Spain can become a debate on the fox hunting! :confused::blink::blink::confused:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

That sounds great, I would love to have a traditional English Christmas but with only just the two of us and also having no idea where I would go to buy any of the food I doubt that is going to happen! Oh well, we had a very tradtional Christmas in Wales last year with friends so I guess we can cope with a picnic lunch and opening presents this year.
Where do you go for your Christmas dinner? :):)

Re: Christmas plans?
 

We don’t know yet. There are eight ‘English’ venues we can walk to, who are all advertising a traditional Christmas lunch. But we don’t know those places very well, because when we go out normally, we tend to go to Spanish places, and most of them are a bit further away.

We can also walk to five Chinese venues, and they’re advertising Christmas functions as well, a couple of them with English music, and quality stuff at that. There’s also a Hungarian place, a Swedish one, and an excellent Indian one.

We’ve never had a curry for Christmas, but why not?

Re: Christmas plans?
 

We are coming in from Kazakhstan on the 20th picking up the mustang in the UK (Mama Mia in London) and driving down to the villa via Bordeaux for wine.

As its just the 2 of us for xmas we will have a day in the Villa to fill the spa and put the heating on, then off to a 5 star hotel in Benidorm for the festivities with dinner in Paneils.

New year we have two couples staying with us so we are looking to celebrate in style in Javea.

:thumbsup:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Given you strong feelings about cruelty to animals, do you think Spain was the right choice? :confused:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Oh shoosh! If you'd like to debate fox hunting then could you please not use my thread about Christmas in Spain. Thank you.

:ohmy:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

I think Madridboy was quite open recently about how North America would be his first choice, but it's harder to get in to.

Apologies to Madridboy if I've got him mixed up with someone else.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

To be fair to agoreira , it was I who raised the possibility of Chulo taking his Spanish friends on Boxing Day to a hunting meet. For some reason posters have strong feelings about this, despite the fact that hunting foxes is illegal in the UK and going to the meet is entirely different to taking part in a hunt. The alternative to this so far appears to be going shopping. So perhaps we need another alternative. Is it still the case that football and rugby games take place on Boxing Day?

Re: Christmas plans?
 

Just because there is bull fighting, doesn't mean I go to see it.:thumbup:

Sorry :o

100% accurate.:thumbsup:

And I carried it on when I could have posted a new thread in Siesta Time, rant over .

Re: Christmas plans?
 

I realise you may have gotten carried away but I just find it really frustrating as it seems to happen all the time and all I am after is some advice on what do for Christmas in Spain!
:thumbdown:

Thank you to everyone else for sharing your ideas and Christmas plans, it has given us some things to look into.
:thumbsup:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

I think the first thing you need to decide is to what extent you value whatever is your current Xmas tradition.... ie if you LOVE your turkey/trimmings etc & Christmas wouldn't be the same (and would ruin the season) if you didn't have it, well factor it in. If, being honest, you're fed up to the back teeth with doing the same thing year in year out, then take a fresh look at the possibilities Spain might offer. Simples!;)

nb :osorry for my first smiley ref the unmentionable off topic.... I probably started it.... though think yourself lucky it went relatively on track, some go WAAAYYY worse:unsure:)

Re: Christmas plans?
 

The big Christmas family dinner in Spain is actually on the evening of the 24th Dec. The meal can consist of anything as long as it is something special that isnt uually eaten. So it can be fish, beef, lamb etc. Many families buy a leg of jamon and chorizo/lomo iberico etc to last the whole christmas period while the family are round, but this is to snack on or to eat as a side dish.

Where I go for Christmas we dont exchange presents at all as it is seen as something for the children. Although maybe this isnt so usual and Spanish families tend to be going more and more crazy at Christmas now like in the UK/US.

Jan 6th is the day the children get their presents but like manamama said some children now get their presents on Dec 24th now (not the 25th!) just becuase it is earlier.

Turron is a big Christmas favourite in all its guises

Re: Christmas plans?
 

You will be able to get english xmas food from either Steve Lichfields butchers in Chiclana or at Monopoly the english shop.

Re: Christmas plans?
 

You have to tell us what you have decided...are you going for spanish or british style of christmas or something different?

Re: Christmas plans?
 

I think we are leaning towards having a traditional Christmas lunch at least, we might have friends coming over so either way we're going to want to book somewhere to go and have Christmas lunch. Any ideas of where to go would be great! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Re: Christmas plans?
 

You could do both.

Spaniards eat a xmas meal in the night before the 25th, the 25th is usually the left overs.

So you could enjoy Noche Bueno, then have a traditional xmas lunch on the 25th.

We did in the past with Spanish friends, we kept to sea food etc so as not to be too stuffed for the 25th.