Christmas in Spain – 8 holiday traditions that might surprise you

Christmas is in the air!

Are you ready?

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit, but if you’re new to Spain, you might be a bit lost trying to navigate all the “typical Spanish” Christmas traditions.

But have no fear!

Today we’re going to talk about eight Spanish holiday traditions to help you celebrate Christmas like a local.

Some of them might surprise newcomers or first-time visitors… but don’t worry, it’ll be fun for the whole family.

And now, with less blackface. (See #6)

Here goes number one…

1. They celebrate Black Friday now, and it’s four days long… or more!

Black Friday’s expansion in the US hasn’t gone unnoticed by savvy Spanish marketers.

But in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s a bit of a mystery why Black Friday is catching on to this degree.

The other mystery is… Why is it a four or five-day event in many stores?

I assume almost everybody understands enough English at this point to realize that “Friday” is only one day.

But Black Friday sales in Spain can just as easily be all weekend, from Thursday to Sunday or even longer. I guess they’re technically lumping Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all the rest into a single event.

And of course, business is business, and they’ve been celebrating Black Friday in major Spanish cities for at least the last several years. I guess it works.

Spain’s economy is one of the fastest-growing among major world players, at least allegedly, and I assume that an important part of that is due to a growing population just buying more stuff.

(This year, here in Barcelona, even my local pharmacy was celebrating Black Friday.)

2. The crazy crowds in the city center

In the evenings and on weekends, the center is packed, all through the holiday season.

(This applies in Madrid and Barcelona. I’m not sure about other Spanish downtown areas.)

Some days you’ll have to elbow your way through massive crowds, and you should definitely hang on tight to your wallet and other valuables at all times.

I’ve heard that pickpockets from around Europe come to Madrid and Barcelona to work the holiday season. More on the pickpocket problem here.

Especially crazy is the area around Cortylandia in Madrid, between Sol and Ópera. I used to work in a language school around the corner, it was insane.

Prepare for thousands of kids and parents waiting for the animatronics on the back side of the Corte Inglés to light up and start singing.

It can be quite an experience, and definitely not for the agoraphobic.

The craziest holiday crowd of all is in Puerta del Sol in Madrid on New Year’s Eve, but you might not know that they do a test of the bells at midnight on December 30th as well.

A lot of people go to the simulacro for a similar party to the one the next night, but with a (somewhat) smaller crowd.

I went once… and it was still very crowded.

But by all means go, have fun, and leave a comment below about the experience.

3. The Spanish national obsession with turrón and shellfish

Back in the day, there used to be two kinds of turrón (in English, praline). There was hard, and soft.

Now, there are literally dozens, and the number of varieties seems to be getting bigger each year.

The origin, like marzipan, is apparently Moorish.

You can get them in any supermarket during the months of November and December, or for a boutique version, try Casa Mira at Carrera de San Jerónimo, 30 in Madrid — it’s been there since 1842.

You can also check out polvorones and mantecados, two lard-based pastries from Andalucía. (Not suitable for vegans, obviously.)

The other thing Spaniards go wild about at this time of year is shellfish, prawns especially.

If you go to your local pescadería from now to mid-January, be prepared to wait behind a long line of abuelas buying prawns in various colors and sizes.

Why prawns, specifically? I have no idea… but you might want to brush up on your seafood vocabulary before the holidays start. Good thing I’ve got a whole article about fish and shellfish in Spanish.

Moving on…

4. Spanish Christmas Lottery madness

If you’ve been to Madrid’s city center at any time since November, you’ve also seen the long lines stretching out from Doña Manolita and El Doblón de Oro, two of the most important lottery offices.

People come from all over Spain to buy tickets from these “lucky” establishments.

I’ve explained some of the bad math in another article, but of course, it’s a tradition, and the social pressure is high. Your barber, your local bar, the people at your office – they’re all playing the same numbers, and if they win and you don’t, it’s going to be quite embarrassing.

Ask your Spanish friends how many tickets they and the people in their family have bought this year — it can be an interesting conversation.

Also, prepare for most of the country to shut down on the morning of December 22nd, as everybody listens to the kids sing out the winning numbers on TV and the radio.

The historic orphanage Colegio de San Ildefonso provides the kids, and the drawing is done at the Teatro Real in Madrid – otherwise known as the Opera building.

If you’re looking for tickets here in Barcelona, the two most popular places are El Gato Negro (on Carrer de Pelai) and Lotería Valdés at Rambla, 88. There’s also La Bruixa d’Or in the town of Sort, way out in Lleida, which has a reputation for being lucky.

5. Twelve grapes on New Year’s Eve

At New Year’s in the US, the story usually begins and ends with drinking champagne and positioning yourself next to someone you’d like to kiss as the clock strikes twelve.

(That is, if you’re celebrating at a party for single people. I think I did that maybe once.)

Well, there’s not a lot kissing here in Spain. Everyone’s too busy stuffing their mouth with grapes!

These days, you can even get your dozen green grapes (one for each ring of the bell) peeled and pre-bagged for you in supermarkets.

Apparently, with 12 grapes in your mouth at once, the main issue is to keep from gagging — kind of like making out with the wrong person at an NYE party back home, actually.

The tradition of las doce uvas dates back many decades, to at least the beginning of the 20th century.

One theory about its origin is that farmers in Alicante had a particularly large and late grape harvest one year, and invented the “tradition” in order to get rid of the overstock.

6. La Cabalgata de los Reyes

On the afternoon and evening of January 5th, most cities and towns hold a cabalgata, a sort of parade with floats, perhaps some camels, and of course, the Three Kings.

Parents often take their kids to see the spectacle, and the Kings throw candy to the crowd.

In Madrid, the route usually goes from Nuevos Ministerios to the city hall at Cibeles, starting around 6:30 PM. You can look up “cabalgata de Reyes” in your local area as well, there might be a similar party on the neighborhood level.

And there’s some good news in recent years: many Spanish city councils are eliminating blackface from the celebration. In previous years, Balthazar (the Babylonian king) was usually played by a local politician with his face painted black.

In recent years, as a gesture to the new, multicultural Spain, they’ve decided (in some locations) to hire a real black person for the job… finally!

If you’re a big spender, some hotels along the route might be renting out suites with a view for the night. In Madrid, Hotel Miguel Ángel used to do this. I’m not sure about other cities, though.

Here’s another thing you might enjoy…

7. Los Reyes are bigger than Santa

There’s actually a bitter debate raging in many Spanish families: the Three Kings, or Santa Claus? Santa Claus, or the Three Kings?

Kids, of course, are happy to celebrate both. More holidays? More presents! And I’m sure the shops don’t mind the extra business either.

The traditional thing is to celebrate on the Kings on January 5th and 6th. It’s based on the story of the Biblical Magi, who brought gifts to baby Jesus. Now, the Kings bring gifts to kids at home. Some families leave wine and sweets out for the Three Kings (and water for their camels) on Noche de Reyes.

And since most houses in the city don’t have a fireplace, the Kings ride in through the window. Because they’re magical!

But many parents feel that something traditional is being lost when they also celebrate a “Santa Claus Christmas” on December 24th or 25th.

Some talk about the creeping influence of American culture. In any case, like other foreign traditions, it seems to be catching on one way or another.

And finally…

8. The holidays never seem to end!

The crowds in the center and the shopping centers don’t even end at Christmas or New Year’s.

In fact, two weeks after Christmas Day, when everybody back in the US has already forgotten about the whole thing, Spain is still celebrating, with Roscón de Reyes, cava, and more prawns…

And the shopping madness lasts until at least January 7th, the first day of full-on rebajas. Because despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, everyone loves a discount.

Frugally yours,

Mr Chorizo.

P.S. What’s your favorite Spanish holiday tradition? Tell us in the comments!

P.P.S. For more fun, check out my article on cultural differences between Spain and the US. That’s a bit more in-depth. You might like it.