As any Christian country, the festival is a great religious holiday in Spain, celebrated with much fanfare and enthusiasm. As the religion growth in the world during its history it met the various habits of the European nations, the christians assimilated them as a part of the new traditions. That's why when we travel we found unusual or even strage tradition in different parts of the glove.
As most of the world this time of year the fruits, flowers, marzipan and other sweets, candles, decorations and handmade gifts are the highlights of the Spanish markets, around Christmas. Very common tradition are the nativity scenes (called Nacimiento), and decorating trees.
For Spanish people, as all the Christians, the Christmas is a time for friends and families to reunite and rejoice together. Since different languages are spoken in Spain, Merry Christmas is greeted as Feliz Navidad in Spanish, Bon Nadal in Catalan and Bo Nadal in Galician. Il Navidat (the Christmas) season in Spain officially begins on December 8, to mark the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena (the good night), while the Spanish midnight mass is called La misa del gallo (The mass of the Rooster). In this period tiny oil lamps are lit, warming the windows once the Christmas Eve stars are visible in the sky.
Pajes (helpers)
It is considerd a well-known fact that the three kings that visited Jesus and his parents had helpers, and in Spain they are called pajes. Their most prominent appearance takes place in Alcoy, Alicante, at the the world’s oldest King-welcoming parade (cabalgata in Spanish). Some people consider weird that the pajes, along with King Balthazar, are all (painted) in blackface. Also, this legion of pajes scales Alcoy’s buildings every year, bringing presents via the balconies. And the kids accept them with open arms.
The Three Kings (Reyes Magos)
Do you know the story of the three kings from the birth of Christ? It is said that three kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, bearing gifts (a camel, an elephant and a horse) followed a guiding star from the orient until they reached Bethlehem, Christ’s birth place.
They are very popular in Spain, every January 5th the kings come to port in a big ship (La Santa Eulalia) into the Portal de la Pau in Barcelona. They meet Barcelona’s mayor who gives them the key to the city which opens every door in Barcelona. The kings make a big speech and gifts are usually given to those watching and then they go off to wait until the parade through the city that night.
Caganer (the gag figurine in the Jesus Nativity set)
This is a Catalonia specialty: the caganer (roughly translated as the pooper) is a little porcelain gnome-like figure, classically dressed in the traditional Spanish garb, with his trousers down who is seen defecating somewhere in the nativity scene, and it's usually hidden among the more traditional items. The caganer is not meant to offend, it's meant to be hilarious and it has been offering his unique "presents" to the nativity scene since at least the middle of the 18th or 19th century, depending on who you ask.
It not invented by the post-South Park generation, as some may think, and the children enjoy looking for the little guy. As I noticed, some Nativity sets are huge and take months to put up but the best part about the set.
Caga Tió (The pooping Christmas log)
Think about Santa Claus, but in a strange, wooden, petrified smiley form. Caga Tio is a log painted with a smiley face (happy face), usually dressed with a Santa hat or a traditional Catalan “barretina” and it stands on either two or four legs. It's cared for from the day of the immaculate conception (El Dia de Inmaculada, December 8) until Christmas.
On December 8th, Catalan families often buy a small caga tio. In the following two and weeks the children ;eave the log food to eat while they sleep, eventually and gradually the caga tio is exchanged by the parents for a bigger and bigger log as the caga tio grows from eating the food. Some families just buy a big Caga tio from the beggining and save money.
On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve (it varies), the family throw the log into the fire, the children beat the log with sticks while singing songs enticing it to shit (poop) some presents. Also particular to the Catalonia region, who clearly didn't think that one scatalogical Christmas tradition was enough.
Ferias de Nadal (Christmas fairs)
This tradition is quite lovely and it's similar with other traditions around the globe. There is (almost) nothing better to get you into the holiday spirit than various open air markets around the towhere you can find trinkets and decorations for the holiday season. Various types of caganers may be bought, with historical or media figures, along with various peices for your Nativity set, Santa Clause figures and toys, lights and Christmas trees.
Day of the Innocents (Santos Inocentes)
It takes place on December 28. On this day, people play practical jokes on one another making the other person the “inocente.” The history of the celebration is actually quite macabre as it acknowledges the masacre, mandated by King Herod, of the first born children of the families in Bethlehem. These children are said to be the first martyrs for Christ.
Some time ago children used to go from door to door asking for sweets. Bakers used to put salt in their cakes on this day to wind up the children. Most of this has been replace with more mundane activities like sticking paper cut-outs to peoples backs.
A Holiday for leftovers
The Catalan people have a reputation of being shrewd with their money: that means they are not wasting money by wasting perfectly good food. On the 26th of December the Catalans celebrate the Feast of San Esteban in which they make traditional canneloni which is a pasta rolled into a sushi-like shape and filled with left over meat from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Flour Throwing at the Els Enfarinats Festival
The Day of the Innocents goes that bit more insane in Ibi, Valencia, where the inhabitants throw flour at each other to, erm, show how innocent they are, or something. It seems that the Spanish love throwing things at each other, it's not the only festival of this sort in Spain.
Grape Eating at the Stroke of Midnight
If you're out in a public place in Spain on New Year's Eve, you will notice that everyone around you is carrying a handful of grapes. On the stroke of midnight everyone will gobble them down: one for each gong of the bells. It is said that for each grape you get down you will have a month's good luck in the coming year.
