fultime

Hi I'm new to the message board. This is probably far to boring a question for all you intelligent folk out there, but I really would lke some advice on whether to spend Christmas in Spain or not! We are sick of boring Christmas's in the UK and would like to spend some time in Spain as we have been coming out over the past year looking for a home to buy, no luck but that's another story... Anyway we just had a break in Nerja in Sept and we really liked it there, so...........what is Christmas like in Spain? Is there places you should/should not go? I've heard that it isn't really celebrated out there and New Year is the best time. Does that mean if I book a Hotel in Nerja for the Christmas week all restaurants and bars will be closed, no entertainment in Hotel etc etc? We don't want all night clubbing we are 'young' early fifities, but we will have our daughter (25) and her partner (28) with us if we decide to take the plunge. Any help and advice would be gratefully appreciated. Also, while on the board, does anyone know of any property going for sale in the AlHaurin El Grande region of Spain for no more than £70,000.........yes I know its a tall order but thats all we've got to spare and we were looking at a mobile home in that area but thats gone all pear shaped since the Spanish Government have decided to clamp down on mobile homes and wooden homes, with our budget that was about all we could afford to get out of the wonderful (not) UK. By the way, for those of you who are living out there, how lucky are you? After our short break in Nerja (one week in Sept) we came home to find our house had been burgled, not such a GREAT britain anymore folks.

Thanks again, in the hope I get some replies :

lynnxa

Christmas is not a big deal in Spain, so you'll find that unless a hotel/bar/restaurant closes for the entire winter it will almost certainly be open on Christmas day. Last year I put a turkey in the oven, we went down to the beach for some tapas, went home, finished cooking lunch & of course ate it!, then in the evening went to a bar for a drink. This year we'll probably do the whole thing in a restaurant.

I too have heard something about the mobile/wooden homes clampdown, but sorry - I know no more than you.

sibsie

Christmas can be a huge deal in Spain depending on how much of a Spanish area you're living in, and how much you integrate with the locals.

They celebrate Christmas Eve but presents aren't exhanged until the Feast of Kings on the 12th night. There's usually a huge fiesta and gifts are given out to all the kids in the village. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is a big event too. Fireworks go off and my church had a street party afterwards with Cava being served. I actually preferred it to Christmas in England.

XabiaChica, if you haven't been to the Feast of Kings in Jesus Pobre or Javea, I highly recommend both.

lynnxa

I was talking more about Xmas day itself - and the fact that things don't just shut down for a week - really just the shops just for xmas day. And it's not a big thing as far as cards, Xmas trees & Santa are concerned. We were living in the Port last Xmas & I don't remember fireworks Xmas Eve - but they seem to let them off so frequently I might be wrong.

Of course we were there for Dia de Reyes last year and it really is fantastic, so my girls got gifts from both Santa & the Kings. We all preferred the Spanish experience of Xmas to the English one.

sibsie

You know that big church that's designed to look like the hull of a boat right in the Puerto? It's at that one. The fireworks were so loud I thought we were being bombed by the germans. The choir there is famous and has won lots of awards. Totally sensational to hear and the place has amazing accoustics. I'm Catholic so used to go there a fair bit. The Mass is in Spanish but the homily (the bit where the priest does a speech) is also in German and English.

lynnxa

I could see that church from my flat - we were just at the front/back of the Miramar - above the chinese restaurant - I just don't remember fireworks Chrismas eve

Don

Spent Xmas & New Year in Madrid in '86. You're right, Xmas itself is more of a family/ religious community thing whilst NY is more of a party. Not forgetting El Gordo!

So it is actually rather a good time to be in Spain, everybody has time off work but the bars & restaurants are open so it is quite lively. Can be cold though in the mountainous bits of Spain - Madrid was blooming freezing!

Good time to sit down and eat sucking pig.