We're coming up to our fourth Christmas on the Costa Blanca in Spain (two of them during the pandemic) and we have really enjoyed discovering some new festive traditions along the way. I guess you could say we have a Spanglish Christmas now, combining the best bits from both countries.
There are quite a few differences between Christmas in the UK and in Spain, most obviously the weather, but also in many of the traditions and activities taking place at this time of year. Some things can take a little getting used to, but it’s a lot of fun finding out about these new Christmas traditions.
The big difference you’ll notice immediately is the lack of commercialism at Christmas in Spain. It’s much more of a religious and family celebration here and, unlike in the UK, you don't really see much in the way of Christmas until you head towards the start of December. The supermarkets are pretty quiet when it comes to Christmas items and unless you head to a large department store you won't really see much Christmas paraphernalia on display.
The Spanish don’t send Christmas cards and they don’t seem to go as crazy as us Brits with all the chocolates and snacks. You'll be able to find some Spanish seasonal treats such as turrón and the traditional festive cake of Roscón de Reyes, but you won't find aisles of Christmas-themed crisps, biscuits and snacks in your average Spanish supermarket.
However, if you’re looking for your favourite festive treats and Christmas crackers don’t panic! If you live in a more touristy area such as the Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol then you’ll have no problem finding them on sale. December is the one time of the year that we head to our local British supermarket to treat ourselves to our favourite goodies. After all, it just wouldn't feel like Christmas without a tin of Roses or a tub of Twiglets!
Even armed with your festive treats, it can be difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s so sunny. The average temperature here in Alicante in December is 18 degrees but we've had a couple of 25-degree Christmas and Boxings days over the past few years. Celebrating Christmas when you're wearing t-shirts (our Christmas jumpers are still packed away in boxes!) can feel quite strange.
There’s plenty of opportunity though to plan some Christmas activities to help get you in the festive spirit. Something the Spanish do very well is their Christmas lights. You'll see these on the main streets of most towns, and the bigger cities have some fantastic displays. It does get a bit chilly of an evening during the winter so going out to see the Christmas lights in the dark definitely brings on a bit of that festive feeling. We always go into Alicante city centre near Christmas to see the lights and the tree. They also have the world’s tallest nativity scene at 180ft high, which is a definite must-see!
The nativity scene (called a belén in Spanish) is a wonderful Spanish Christmas tradition that you'll see popping up in towns and cities all over the country. Though not usually on the same scale as the Alicante one, these scenes are incredibly detailed and creative and you can spend ages looking at them. Each one is slightly different, made up of small figures depicting historical scenes from the time around the birth of the baby Jesus and the visit from the three Kings.
From early December, Christmas markets start popping up in some of the bigger towns and cities. The best ones are unsurprisingly said to be in Madrid and Barcelona, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Christmas Market in Alicante is on the smaller side in comparison but we love to pay a visit to buy a few small stocking filler gifts and enjoy some churros con chocolate.
Alongside the Christmas market, you can often find an ice rink, an hour where you'll definitely feel more festive and probably the only time in this part of Spain that you'll need to wear gloves!
It’s as you approach the week of Christmas that you'll start to notice some big differences in how the holiday is celebrated in Spain. The run-up to Christmas day is a much quieter affair, with schools closing the day before Christmas Eve and businesses only closing for a couple of days. The big festive meal is held on the night of Christmas Eve in Spanish households, usually with a menu of suckling pigs or seafood rather than turkey. After dinner, the whole family will head to church for Midnight Mass. The beauty of holidays though is that you can celebrate however you want, so we still have our main meal on Christmas day and have so far stuck to the traditional turkey roast dinner.
Nowadays more Spanish children are being visited by Santa on Christmas Eve, but traditionally in Spain children have had to wait for a visit from the Three Kings on the night of 5th January to get their presents. Processions are held throughout Spain on the 5th, with the Three Kings travelling on horseback through the streets throwing sweets to the children. The children will have written their letter to one of the Kings and will have presents to open on the morning of the 6th. We've added a small present on the 6th of January to our ‘Spanglish’ Christmas, definitely having the best bits of both traditions!
And then once the Three Kings have been, the Christmas season is over for another year, and it’s back to work and school in the second week of January.
Christmas in Spain is definitely different, and does take some getting used to, but who can complain about a holiday that involves presents, food, and sun?
That sums up pretty accurately Christmas here in Spain. We particularly like that you don't see anything until early December when towns and villages switch on their lights. Compared with back in the UK it is all very low key. Mind you in the non Spanish areas as long as you book early you can go out for Christmas dinner on the day in one of the British restaurants.