Is it me or has Christmas come around very quickly this year? I can’t believe that we are already in December and talking about Christmas parties and work celebrations. Christmas in Spain is fairly low-key in comparison to the festivities that take place in the UK, the US, and other countries within the EU. I did notice this year, however, in November, the supermarkets started putting Christmas shelves together full of yummy things such as Turon. Well, I guess now is the time to get into the Christmas spirit.
It is quite refreshing that, in Spain, Christmas is not overly commercialized. The Spanish tend to look at Christmas as a religious occasion rather than an excuse to party and spend money.
This doesn’t mean that the Spanish don’t know how to celebrate Christmas; once they get going, they immerse themselves in the spirit of Christmas with their families. Throughout Spain, all of its streets are adorned and decorated with lights and nativity displays. These displays have very important religious meaning and are called the Belén. In the UK, we used to have these, and they were referred to as either a Manger or Crib. This is the religious element of Christmas, and sadly, it is seen in public and residential houses less and less as the years go on.
Christmas trees magically seem to appear for sale everywhere, and poinsettias, the red-leaved plant associated with Christmas, are planted everywhere. I have seen whole roundabouts planted with them, with at least 100+ in one site.
As well as the traditional trees in the home, there will also be small versions of the Belénes, or nativity scenes. These will always include the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the Three Kings. I have one in my house, and it does bring something back home to remind us of why we are celebrating this holy day.
So as the days draw closer, I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas in Spain this year and are a little more prepared than me. Back
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