Spanish Christmas Traditions

Christmas is time of the year that a lot of people enjoy. Christmas is all about family reunions, Christmas tree, parties and feast. The entire atmosphere is filled with festive fervor, hope and mirth. The families get together to clean and decorate homes with wreaths, Christmas lights and so on. It is a great occasion for the entire family to go out and buy a Christmas tree from the local market, Christmas tree shops and shopping malls. Once the tree is brought home, it is decorated with ornaments, tinsel and Christmas lights. Christmas has universal appeal and is celebrated in different countries according to their traditions.

Christmas is celebrated with religious sentiments in Spain. All Spanish people attend church service during Christmas holiday season. Many families go to the church to worship Mother Mary and Jesus on Christmas Eve. They attend the midnight mass and listen to holy sermons. The Christmas festival starts from December 8 and ends on January 6. On December 8, many families gather at the Gothic church in Seville. There is a feast of Immaculate Conception on this day. There is performance of dance by ten boys in elaborate costumes. Cow is worshipped during the Christmas festival as it is believed that cow was present during the birth of the Jesus.

On the Christmas Eve, mini oil lamps are lit in every home. Families enjoy traditional dinner on Christmas Eve after the Midnight Mass. Music and dance are two important parts of Christmas celebration. People dance on the rhythm of guitars and castanets on the streets of the cities as the celebration reaches its height. The lyrics of the songs and music are passed from generation to generation. The homes as well as church depict manger scene with figurines of Jesus and Mary. The families sit together listening to Christmas music and singing carols.

On 28 December, the feast of Holy Innocents is celebrated. On this day, young boys make bon fires and they perform around the fire. The children get gifts on the last day of celebration i.e. on January 6. The children keep their shoes outside the door filled with barley or straw. In the morning, they find gifts in the shoes. Gift giving, attending church and playing on swings are three important traditions followed by Spanish people during Christmas. They thoroughly enjoy the festival meeting friends and extended family, as it is the time for reunions.

Traditionally, seafood is served during Christmas feast with Cava, a Spanish wine. The shellfish, salmon, prawns and meat are major food items served. The Christmas cake and sweets are served as dessert. Turron is a special sweet made out of almonds during the Christmas holiday season. Families love to dine, dance and have parties to celebrate the Christmas season.