Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

How is hubby? We haven't had an update from you for a while. I assume he is just on a diet at the moment.. ?

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

Hi,
So when do children leave their shoes (to be filled with sweets/presents)outside their bedroom? Dec 5th, 25th, or Epiphany? :confused:
Carol

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

You know.. most people do both..

Santa is on Xmas Eve so parents tend to give the kids presents and tell them that Santa brought them..

Kids leave their shoes out with sweets on the 5th.. usually by the nativity or Xmas tree..

Kids go back to school on the 8th of Jan so parents tend to give them toys and things they can play with on Xmas Eve and the "less interesting" stuff like clothes and so on Epiphany.. this way they get to play with their toys all over Xmas..

Having said this it is obviously up to you what you do..

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

Hola Anabella,
I asked because just today someone at work had mentioned children celebrating the feast day of St Nicholas, and leaving their shoes out! They were talking about a northern european country (Holland?), and I think the 5th December was an important date. Then, I got to thinking about Spain and remembered the connection with the shoes!! Yes, confusing! :)
Regards,
Carol

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

You are right, St Nicolas is in Holland today.. I find that confusing too..

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

Not that confusing as St Nicholas is the basis of Santa Claus, but it's just the dates are different, some European countries celebrate on the 6th Dec, many on the 25th, and some on the 6th January, Spain and Russia to name two for the 6th Jan. I really suspect that given the numbers of people moving around and relocation in EU countries, then people add the celebrations to their own, so those that celebrate the 6th Dec and 6th Jan also celebrate the 25th Dec, and the kids get two or three lots of presents, also the card sellers can see a new market opening up.

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

I am sure the kids would be the last to moan if they got three lots of goodies :D

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

:) .. any reason is good to celebrate..

I celebrate everything Spanish, English and American.. lucky me.. ;)

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

That`s being greedy ;) ;)




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Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

No, it sounds fun :D

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

Hello Helen. I´m a Spaniard living in southern Spain (Granada, Andalusia if you want to search on a map). The Christmast begin in Spain with the national lottery of Christmast (december the 22nd), this a tradition for the adults and every body buy a ticket of the lottery for family with the christmast presents. December 24th is christmas eve and we have a family dinner joint together with different dishes (it depends on the region where you wanna live in Spain) and turrón etc, now a days we have papa noel/santas presents but not all the people do it (it´s a foreing costume, not ours). December 25th we get up so late we have a breakfast of chocolate with "churros" , in Catalonia the dinner of the 24th they celebrate on 25th. December 31 , another dinner with family but... sometimes with friends and could be a party even. This day the costume is only to have 12 grapes with the 12 tones of the bell of Puerta del Sol Clock in Madrid for finishing the year and wellcome the new one.January 1st, well jajajaaj once again we get up so late and once... chocolate with churros but in the street, there are some bars and pubs open early in the morning for serving it. January 5th Reyes Magos eve day , we have parades in all cities and towns and villages with sweets and sweets (paid by the councils, but tradition is tradition) all in the streets. That night you need to clean your shoes and leave some turrón and milk and water for the Reyes Magos (three kings of orient) and there camels. Is the moment for the parents put the presents for the family and the children. January 6th guauuuuuuuuu!!!!!!! day of presents in the morning. If you were good the kings take you a lot of presents if you were bad only coil (sweet coil you can buy on sweets shops) and with that ends the christmas in Spain.

Decoration: tipically we put the Belen,is a reconstruction of bethlehem town in biblical times with jesus , mary and joseph but we have christmast tree too (another foreing tradition).

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

On january the 5th you should clean your shoes and put with the turron and the milk (or chanpagne) for the kings.

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

Hola! Spanish young,
Thank you for this contribution.
If I were a camel, I'd rather have oats than turron! (No wonder camels have bad breath!) ;)
Granada is beautiful :)
Regards,
Carol

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

It's called a pinata where the kids hit it with a stick until it bursts and then sweets fall out. Also it is called the day of the kings 'Los Reyos', legend has it that the children are supposed to leave a shoe outside the door for one of the kings to leave a gift on the night of the 5th, apparently for a joke parents will sometimes leave a piece of coal in the shoe, this is to indicate to the child that they have been too naughty to receive a gift. Isn't that a fantastic idea - the fact that the only presents they would get would fit in a shoe - not like in the uk when the kids start writing their list from the argos catalogue in November!!!! Another tradition for the New Year is to wear something red for good luck which is why you will find racks and racks of red underwear in the ladies section at this time of year!

Re: Differences between Christmas in Spain and UK
 

That's right starting the year with red underwear is supposed to give you good luck for the year.. but it has to be given to you, you can't buy it yourself.. you are supposed to burn your underwear the next day but most people don't do it.. it's a bit dangerous.. ;)