Twelve ways to get into the Christmas spirit in Spain

Christmas lights in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.

Photo: AFP

From the truly sublime to the downright bizarre, the festive season in Spain is an amazing experience. Read on to check out The Local’s guide to the very best the country has to offer.

Carol concerts, glittering lights and a healthy dose of consumerism: in many respects Christmas in Spain is a thoroughly familiar experience.

The Christmas season fully gets underway this week, when the nation enjoys two bank holidays – on December 6th and December 8th – and continues right up until Epihany on January 6th.

But alongside the cute craft markets and the ice skating rinks, there are some traditions that mark this time of year in Spain as unique.

SHOP AT A CHRISTMAS MARKET:


Photo: AFP

While Spain’s Christmas markets might not have the prestige of their Central European counterparts, they are becoming more and more popular. The biggest Christmas market in Spain is on Madrid’s Plaza Mayor (pictured) and there are also impressive ones in Barcelona, Seville and Granada. Be sure to check out some traditional handmade Spanish Christmas decorations or maybe get a new baby Jesus for your crib.

MARVEL AT A CHRISTMAS CRIB:

“La familia al Completo” nativity scene by Antonio Pigozzi and Raffaele De Angelis during the inauguration of the Museo de Belenes, the world’s largest museum of nativity scenes, in Mollina near Malaga. Photo: AFP

The Spanish love their Christmas cribs, or ‘belénes’, with town halls across Spain coming up with elaborate versions that go well beyond the simple nativity scene. Some even lay on ‘living’ nativity scenes with volunteers playing the parts.

 

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Source: The Local Spain

Image Source: The Local Spain