Las Navidades en España

Las Navidades = Christmas Period

• The Christmas period in Spain goes on from about the 13th December until the 6th January.

• During all this period all the shops continue to have their Christmas decorations, TV adverts are still about Christmas, and the atmosphere everywhere is that the festivities continue

el 13 de Diciembre

• It is Saint Lucia’s day and it signals the start of the Christmas period

• Traditional Christmas markets are set up, where you can buy Christmas trees, holly, misletoe, all that you need to decorate the Christmas tree, the house and to make the all important Nativity Scenes.

El mercado de Santa Lucía = Christmas market

Luces callejeras =Street lights

• Street lights appear all over the towns just like so many other places in the world

El Belén = Nativity Scene

• This is traditionally the most important decoration in houses and towns.

• They try to recreate the life in villages at the time when Jesus was born, although scenes are not always true as imagination can run riot.

El Belén en casa =Nativity scenes in the

house

• The sizes of these nativity scenes can vary enormously.

• Families can compete to see who makes the best, most intricate, most lavish, biggest, brightest ones

No Nativity Scene is complete without:

• El Nacimiento = The Crib

AND

• Los Tres Reyes Magos = The Three Wise Men, The Three Kings, or The Magi.

Normally “Los Tres Reyes Magos” will be placed at opposite ends from the crib.

From the 24th December they will be made to advance little by little until they arrive at the crib on 6th January.

El Caganer

• A MUST - In some regions in Spain it is traditional to put the figure of a man crouching and with his trousers down as he is doing his necessities.

• It is thought that if this figure is present in the Nativity Scene it will bring good luck

Traditional “caganer”

Fantasy

“caganer”

El Belén en la ciudad =Nativity Scene in the town

• It is very common to see Nativity Scenes in towns.

• Again they vary in sizes, and in some the statues can be life size.

• You can also see living ones.

El árbol de Navidad = the Christmas Tree

• This tradition has only been added in the last few decades and it is continuing to grow among the households in Spain.

El 22 de Diciembre

EL GORDO = THE FAT ONE

The biggest lottery around …….. It was first intoduced in Spain in 1812.

Prizes total 1.8 billion Euros• AND CHILDREN START THEIR HOLIDAY

Los niños del Colegio San Ildefonso - Madrid

• Each ticket costs about £35

• There are 66,000 numbers and each number is repeated 1,900 times

• Individuals, companies, shops …. all buy tickets and either give shares in that number as a present or they sell them – In this way people will end up with several tens of numbers thus increasing their chance to win

El lote de Navidad =Christmas Hamper

• Traditionally every employer gives each employee a hamper, varying in contents and sizes

El aguinaldo =Christmas pay

• Employees are paid double that month to help them with the expense.

Los villancicos =Christmas Carols

• Spanish traditional carols are very different to English ones.

• Of course we also have Jingle Bells, Silent Night and others sung in Spanish

La ZambombaTraditional Christmas instrument to sing carols

La nochebuena =Christmas’ eve

• Family and extended family get together for a special dinner

• Food varies from region to region although turkey, goose or chicken is normally present

El turrón = traditional Christmas Sweet

La Misa del Gallo =Midnight Mass

Los regalos de Navidad = Christmas presents

• This is NOT necessarily the main date for presents.

• It varies how few or how many presents are given on this date, if at all.

Papá Noël =Father Christmas

• If presents are given, they are either given

in the night of the 24th December

OR

in the morning of the 25th December

El 25 de diciembre

¡Feliz Navidad! Happy Christmas!

A repetition of Christmas Eve

el 28 de diciembre El Día de los Inocentes =

Fools Day• Newspapers, TV, and everyone

participates in playing some kind of prank.

• Kids might hang paper men on people’s backs in the street

el 31 de diciembreLa Nochevieja =New Year’s Eve

• Many people see the New Year at home and then go out to parties

• Some will go out to restaurants or discos and see the new year there

WHEREVER………..

They will eat 12 grapes (one per chime) to bring them good luck and then have a toast with “cava” - sparkling

wine produced in Spain

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!Happy New Year!

• The whole family gathers to celebrate the New Year

Los Reyes Magos = The Three Kings

• Traditionally, once the Christmas festivities are over people can concentrate on present buying.

• On the 6th of January we give presents to remember that The Three Kings gave presents to Baby Jesus.

• Stores enlist the presence of the Three Kings so that children can give them their letters.

• The Three Kings will bring the children the presents for which they ask.

El 5 de eneroLa cabalgata de Los Reyes

Magos=

The procession of the Three Kings

• There is a procession in each town

• It signifies that The Three Kings have arrived in town from Orient loaded with the toys the children have asked for.

• They also throw loads of sweets to the expecting children

El 6 de enero¡Feliz Día de Reyes!

Happy Epiphany!• Children wake up to presents• They will also have sweets if they have

been good and coal if they have been bad

• They will then go round to extended family to give and receive more presents

• Families will gather to celebrate the day with a meal

• The traditional Three Kings ring will be eaten for dessert

• Inside there is a figure of a king and a bean. Whoever gets the figure will have good luck but whoever gets the bean will have bad luck

• Christmas festivities are finished• Children go back to School on the 8th

January• The SALES start