Christmas is slightly different in Spain than in your home countries.

Firstly presents are usually opened on the 6th January, which is the day the three wise men arrived at the manger bearings gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and so the children in Spain believe the Three Wise Men (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) bring them gifts rather than Father Christmas. Shoes are filled with straw, carrots, barley for the tired camels that must carry their riders through the busy night. By morning the camel food is gone and in place of the straw, carrots or barley are presents. Shoes also may be placed on balconies on the night of the 6th January in the hope that the Wise Men will fill them with gifts while they are passing. In addition the Spanish especially honour the cow at Christmas because it is thought that when Mary gave birth to Jesus the cow in the stable breathed on the baby Jesus to keep him warm.

On Christmas Eve, as the stars come out, tiny little oil lamps are lit in every house. Christmas dinner is traditionally eaten very late at night, followed by festivities for the rest of the night. It’s not traditional to eat a turkey on Christmas day, but rather things such as pork, lamb or seafood. A traditional Christmas treat is “turron”, a kind of almond candy that is often stuffed with chocolate or fruits.

The Christmas Day is also celebrated quietly with close family members. December 28th is known as the day of innocents, within which family and friends play jokes on one another. This day is quite similar to the April Fools’ Day and so even the newspapers print fabricated stories, just for a laugh.

We hope you enjoy discovering all these new traditions and wish you Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Your s-w-e-p-Team