One thing is guaranteed if you spend Christmas in Spain – it is going to be considerably cheaper for Mum and Dad than it would be in the UK.
It’s not that the Spanish do not celebrate the Christmas period but they haven’t gone mad with the commercialism of the event which will cost on average £437 for Brits taking into account presents, food and alcohol.
For Spaniards, Christmas has retained its religious focus with traditional nativity scenes present in most homes, decorations throughout the towns and villages and a general feeling of peace to all men.
The ‘stars’ of the Christmas period in Spain are Three Kings, Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar. Father Christmas and Rudolf play a much smaller part and in times gone past were unheard of.
The Three Kings are the same chaps that are taught in school in here. They saw the star in the West and followed it to Bethlehem – bearing the infamous gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is representations of these gifts that are exchanged on January 6th in Spain.
British expat Dean Wilkinson has lived in Spain for 12 years; he has often spent his Christmases there as opposed to trekking back to the UK for turkey and perhaps a little more commercialism than he wishes to stomach.
Dean explains:
“The Spanish Children do not expect gifts on December 25th, some may receive a few but it will be more of a token gesture while they wait for the big event on January 6th. However there is a general feeling that 6th of January is slightly out of kilter as schools reopen on the 7th and there is no time for enjoying their booty.
“For British and other European expats, December the 25th remains the main event but to keep in line with the Spanish tradition they are likely to receive a gesture in January.”
Living in Spain and remaining there for the Christmas period is a bit of a treat for Dean Wilkinson. Much as he loves to come home and see his friends and family in Chatham, Kent he prefers to make this journey off-season. Being in the UK is so much more frenetic and stressful at Christmas than in Spain where the pace of life – particularly on the Costa del Sol – is so much more relaxed and gentle.
“The thought of jumping on the M25 or queuing in supermarkets in the UK is not something I miss. I am very lucky to have purchased a fabulous apartment in the hills on the Costa del Sol. I will be enjoying the company of good friends, delicious Spanish food and some ice cold beer on Christmas day this year!” explains Dean.
The festive calendar in Spain follows this format:
The 21st December marks the shortest day and in many cities this is celebrated with big bonfires where the crowd will be seen jumping through the flames to protect themselves against illness.
22nd December is a big day in the Spanish diary as this is the date that the annual Christmas Lottery is drawn – the event takes all day and is a much bigger lottery draw than anything that would be seen in the UK. Not necessarily in value but as a country this is known as ‘the fat one’ (El Gordo) and there is great excitement and ceremony over the whole occasion.
Then 24th December is known as Nochebuene – Goodnight. This is a very important family gathering in the social calendar. Families meet together – often in very large numbers – lots of food, cava and festive sweets make this evening stand out. This night is as big in Spain as New Years Eve. As Father Christmas has never traditionally had to make his way down the chimneys of Spanish households there is no need for an early night and celebrations often go on into the early hours of Christmas morning.
The 28th December is known in Spain as Santos Inocentes – this translates to Holy Innocents and is our equivalent of April Fools day. Again the Spanish are known to take this event more seriously than in the UK where it is normally the premise of the young to play pranks. In Spain you might find whole communities engaged in activities such as making the Mayor sweep the streets or other such frivolous antics.
New Years Eve is a big celebration throughout Spain much as you will see throughout the world. Then the Christmas period culminates with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th when the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem. For Spanish children this is the most important day of the year when they wake up to find that Los Reyes Magos(the Three Kings) have left gifts for them in their house. Three Kings are their favourites, especially Baltasar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts. During the day of 6th the Three Kings continue their good work and are seen distributing gifts to children in hospitals all over Spain.
Marc Pritchard, Sales & Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España, who lives on the island of Mallorca explains why the festive season in Spain is so special:
“I love the deep traditions of a Spanish Christmas but I fear that other European, more commercial influences are starting to creep in. My advice is to come out and experience the tradition for yourself – and sooner the better! We have property available from €114,920at the moment; there has not been a better time to buy in Spain for many years and spending the festive season in the sun with joy and fun of the Spaniards is really something very special.”
For more information on having a very Spanish Christmas contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.
