What Day Is Christmas Celebrated In Spain: In Spain Christmas lasts for 15 days, from December 22 to January 6. It’s the same thing every day. It starts with buying lottery tickets, which gives the start of the season a little extra spice. As the days go by, a special tradition forms: people look forward to the arrival of Tió de Nadal, a strange person who, in some places, stands in for Santa Claus.
This extended time of celebration lets people have a wide range of experiences. Families and communities come together to enjoy the happy mood that sweeps the country. Spain’s Christmas traditions are a beautiful mix of different cultures. On Christmas Eve, people get together to celebrate with big feasts that feature local specialties. At midnight, there is a mass called La Misa Del Gallo that respects and values the meaning of the season.
The fun doesn’t end on December 25; there are still more events, like the April Fool’s Day-themed Dia de los Santos Inocentes on December 28. Also, the holiday mood is enhanced by the allure of Christmas markets, which offer a wide range of small gifts and well-known treats such as turron and marzipan. Spain celebrates Christmas for 15 days, which is a show that shows how different and unique their holiday customs are.
History and Origin of Christmas in Spain
Traditions for Christmas in Spain go back to the fourth century when Christianity came to the country. The anniversary of Jesus Christ’s birth on December 25 has had a huge impact on Spanish society for a long time. Spanish Christmas rituals are based on religion, but Celtic, Roman, and pagan traditions have also affected them.
During the Moorish era, Spain did not allow Christmas parties, but the holiday’s spirit and traditions lived on in secret. People in Spain really enjoyed Christmas again in the 1600s. On January 6, the Three Wise Men came to visit. This was the start of a unique and important Spanish custom.
In Spain today, Christmas is all about religion, family, and friends. The main things that people do at this time of year are follow old cultural traditions and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Traditions and Celebrations of Christmas in Spain
People in Spain celebrate the coming of the Three Wise Men on January 6, which is known as “El Dia de los Reyes” and is one of their most famous Christmas traditions. On this day, kids don’t wait for Santa Claus to come; instead, they put their shoes outside in hopes of getting gifts from the Three Wise Men. At many events, there is a parade where the Three Wise Men hand out candy and other gifts to people walking by.
People also like to play the Christmas draw, which is also known as “El Gordo” or “the fat one.” People are looking forward to this draw as a sign of peace and wealth during the holidays. People from different families and groups of friends get together to eat traditional sweets like “turrón” (nougat) and “polvorones” (almond cookies).
Spiritual events, like the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, which is called “La misa del gallo” (The Mass of the Rooster), are a big part of Spanish Christmas traditions. Differences between regions in these practices show how culturally rich and varied the country is.
Christmas in Spain: Everything You Need to Know
In Spain, Christmas is a lively holiday with beautiful nativity scenes, bright lights, delicious almond sweets, and well-known traditions all wrapped up in a happy mood.
This is a happy time of the year when families get together, and there are lots of interesting regional customs. Some of them are strange, but they are all deeply rooted in Spanish culture.
This is your guide to spending Christmas in Spain. It includes holiday activities, festive sights, and one-of-a-kind events that might be different from what you’re used to at home. It is possible to fully experience the wonderful and unique customs that make Christmas in Spain so special.
How Is Christmas Celebrated In Spain?
From December 24 to January 6, Spain celebrates Christmas for two weeks. At this happy time of year, people all over the country are happy, family-centered, and ready to celebrate. In Spain, holiday celebrations are a unique mix of Christian and pagan customs.
This year, Christmas Eve is on December 24. It’s a special time for the family. When extended families get together, they might have a big feast with foods that are unique to the area. On the menu, there may be starters like Iberico ham, fish, and cheeses. It could be fish, stuffed turkey, roast pork, or soup every time. Some of the most famous treats are turron, Spanish candies, marzipan, and polvorones. Most people eat their Christmas meal before going to Midnight Mass, also called La Misa Del Gallo. At this point, many bars and restaurants stop. The second one got its name from the story that a rooster crowed the night before Jesus was born. On this special day, people get together to thank God, sing Christmas songs, and remember when Jesus Christ was born.
Families get together for extra celebrations on Christmas Day (December 25), but they are usually smaller than on Christmas Eve. This is a holiday when families with young children often share gifts and say thank you. Still, the parties go on longer than just Christmas Day.
El Dia de los Santos Inocentes, or “Day of the Holy Innocents,” is held in Spain on December 28. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it now looks like April Fool’s Day, but its roots are in Catholic customs. Bromas o inocentadas are funny; practical jokes played on family and friends; news networks often show these kinds of stories. We want to warn you that not everything you hear today is real. You might believe a real hoax!
Christmas Markets In Spain
Each city’s main streets are lined with big Christmas markets that sell a lot of different things, like ornaments, souvenirs, and small gifts from the area. Some markets even have old things for sale. Traditional sweets like marzipan and turron, a delicious honey and nut treat, start to show up in stores as early as October.
Because of its unique Catalan Christmas customs, Barcelona is one of the best places to go market shopping. The Fira de Santa Llucia, which is the city’s oldest and most famous market, is without a doubt the highlight. Also, Valencia is known for its two big Christmas markets.
If you like to shop for old things, furniture, art, and antiques, you might like Madrid’s markets. Other than their special style, the Mercado de Navidad de Plaza Mayor and the Feria Mercado de Artesania de Madrid are different from any other markets in the country. Seville is the best option for people who are interested in hobbies and home decor. There are beautiful Nativity Scenes at the Mercado de Belenes market that make it stand out. At every market, the holiday spirit is spread by lights, decorations, and positive energy.
Why does Spain celebrate Christmas on January 5th?
Even though January 6 is the official holiday, children prefer January 5 because they get to enjoy the parades to celebrate that the Three Kings (Reyes Magos) are coming to town to leave gifts under the tree.
The real event is on January 6, but Spanish kids look forward to January 5 because that’s when the parades honor the Three Kings or Reyes Magos. The most exciting part of these processions is when the Kings, who are on top of the floats, throw lots of candy and gifts to the happy kids and adults who line the parade route. In Spain, this event is almost like an extreme sport because kids and, well, competitive parents go all out to get as many sweets as they can, which they may or may not eat.
The Epiphany, which takes place on January 6, remembers when the Three Kings came to Bethlehem to give Jesus his gifts. Most people in Spain get gifts from the Three Kings on January 6, even though giving gifts from Santa Claus on Christmas Day has become more popular. The Roscón de Reyes, a sweet with many surprises inside, is another strange tradition for this day. If you find the bean, you have to pay for the whole cake. If you find a charm, you become king or queen.
Is Christmas in Spain 24 or 25?
Christmas in Spain is set by the religious-Catholic calendar. The celebrations begin on December 24th, Christmas Eve ( celebrating the birth of Jesus), and end on January 6th, Three Kings Day, which happens during the school vacations. The most important dates of Christmas in Spain are: December 24th (Christmas Eve).
When the lottery numbers are released, the holidays really start, and everyone rushes to get ready for the parties that are coming up. In Spain, people enjoy Christmas Eve on December 24. It’s called Nochebuena. The event is mostly good for families. When families have a lot of extended family members, they often get together for a happy dinner with meat, wine, holiday foods, and lots of sweets.
Hard-core Catholics go to a service at midnight called the Misa del Gallo after dinner. People in the church sing well-known and traditional Christmas songs while guitars, hand drums, and tambourines play in the background. People attend the event to remember the birth of the Son of God.
The night of Nochebuena is very exciting for many families, especially those with kids. This is the time of year when Santa Claus, who is also called Papá Noel in Spanish, gives gifts to all the nice kids who have been good all year. Different parts of Spain have their traditions. Olentzero brings gifts to children in the Basque Country, but Tió de Nadal does the same thing in Cataluña and Aragón. But the holiday season hasn’t even started yet! December 25 is Christmas Day.
Families often get together for a simpler meal on Christmas Day instead of the more fancy dinner they have on Christmas Eve. For families with young children, finding out what gifts Papá Noel has given everyone on this day is very fun. When kids play on the streets with their new bikes, remote-controlled cars, and roller skates, they come to life.
How long is Christmas in Spain?
Christmas celebrations in Spain start as early as December 22nd and last until the 6th of January. That’s a good 15 days of festivities during which you can experience a range of unique Christmas traditions: From buying lottery tickets to kickstart the season to waiting for Tió de Nadal instead of Santa.
In Spain, Christmas lasts for 15 days, from December 22 to January 6. You can get involved in a lot of different Christmas customs right now. Spain is a unique place to visit for a vacation, whether you play the exciting El Gordo lottery or wait for Tió de Nadal instead of Santa.
1. Enjoy the thrill of El Gordo, the big Christmas lottery:
Since 1812, people have bought Christmas lottery tickets for El Gordo, which means “the Fat One.” The Christmas lottery, which has a prize pool of more than €2 billion, is held on December 22. People in Spain are very excited to see the results. It’s cheaper to play if you buy a lot of tickets at once and use the same number of them. To see how it went, watch the live show on the morning of December 22.
2. Say goodbye to Santa Claus and hello to Tió de Nadal, Olentzero, and El Apalpador:
In Spain, there is no Santa Claus (Papa Noel), so Christmas Day is always after December 25. Instead, Santa Claus is shown in different ways in each place.
In Catalonia, an empty tree with two legs and a face came to life. Kids began “feeding” the log on December 8 by putting a blanket over it to keep it warm. People get together on Christmas Day to sing songs and poke the log with a stick until sweets like candy, almonds, and other treats fall out. The funny habit has given the log the name Caga Tió, which means “pooping log.”
What are 5 facts about Christmas in Spain?
La Navidad en Espana
‘Merry Christmas’ in Spanish is ‘Feliz Navidad.
In Spain, Christmas celebrations begin from the 8 December.
This painting of La Inmaculada is by the Spanish artist, Murillo (1617 – 1682).
On 8 December, Spanish families begin to decorate – adornar – their Christmas trees and houses.
Spain is no different from any other country when it comes to their Christmas customs. To celebrate the holidays, people all over the country do a lot of strange things, some of which might surprise you. These are the eight most important Christmas customs in Spain. They include a big national lottery, a strange pooping log, and December Fool’s Day. Merry Christmas!
In Spain, one of the most exciting things to do at Christmas is to play the lottery. The Spanish National game is the biggest in the world because so many people play it around Christmas. The money prize is very big—more than two billion euros—hence the name “El Gordo,” which means “the Fat One.”
On December 22, the winning numbers are often shown live on TV. This has been done since 1812. A group of kids sings the winning songs beautifully when they are called out. People who work together or are friends often split the cost of a single ticket and any wins. In 2011, something that had never happened before happened: a whole community won 950 million euros with just one ticket!
Do they have Christmas trees in Spain?
The most important Spanish Christmas Traditions
Today many families prepare both the Belen and the Christmas tree, which has gained popularity due to its value as a decoration item. So yes, in Spain, people do also use today the Christmas tree.
Even though it started in Germany in the 1600s, decorating a Christmas tree is a popular practice in many places, including Spain. The Prado Museum in Madrid had the first public Christmas tree around Christmas 1870. No one knows for sure when they came to Spain for the first time.
A lot of Spanish homes now decorate for the holidays with a Christmas tree and a Belén (Nativity scene). The Christmas tree, which is liked for its beauty, has become more popular in Spain. This shows that this tradition has fit in with the country’s unique holiday traditions.
In Spain and Latin America, people enjoy Christmas in different ways. In Spain, the nativity scene is a famous part of celebrations because it shows the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Eve, there is a big feast where the whole family gets together to eat traditional foods and make the mood festive. Epiphany Day, which celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, is another important holiday.
Posadas is a tradition that gets people from all over Latin America together to remember how Mary and Joseph ran away to safety. Nacimiento decorations, which show the nativity scene and tell the story of Christmas, are put up in people’s homes. Three Kings Day is the last day of the season in Latin America. It is marked by parades, feasts, and giving gifts.
Even with all of these rituals, Christmas is still mostly about families getting together to enjoy each other’s company, show appreciation, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Everyone loves Christmas, and the holiday feels filled with warmth and the joy of shared moments. This is because, no matter what traditions are followed, there is a sense of community and celebration throughout the season. It’s a time when regional differences are brought together with universal themes like love and connection to promote peace across borders.
