Christmas starts rather late in Spain, but when it does, it never fails to be a whole-hearted and magical affair, with real spirit and wonderful festivities.

The Lottery Draw

The first real sign, and arguably the mark of the beginning of Christmas in Spain is the world-famous Spanish lottery draw, which is held on the 22nd of December. This event is so exciting among Spaniards, and used to kick off Christmas because it is officially the biggest lottery draw in the world, with a colossal prize fund reaching billions. While it has the biggest prize it also has the best odds for ticket holders to take home the prize. The draw starts in the morning of the 22nd, and the whole country enjoys it live, or from their television sets. This Christmas tradition has carried on for centuries, and a Spanish Christmas without it wouldn’t really be right.

The Belen

It is then that the Christmas celebrations and festivities really get going throughout the country. At this time kids break up for the holiday, and decorations and lights start to appear everywhere. Instead of a tree that annually appears in the centre of every city and town centre of various other countries, in Spain, it is traditional to set up a ‘Belen’ - a nativity scene, in every major town and city. These nativity scenes include the traditional religious figures and scenery, and in recent years the Spaniards have introduced a character known locally as ‘el Cagon’, a figure of a man ‘pooing’ to symbolise the fertilisation of new lands.

Christmas Eve Dinner

The most important Christmas meal for the Spanish takes place on the evening of the 24th - Christmas Eve (Noche Buena in Spanish). The whole family sits down to a table of delicious local fish and cold meat dishes leading up to the traditional roast lamb accompanied by ‘Cava’, the Spanish answer to champagne. This meal starts late into the evening, sometimes even beginning at midnight. It is traditional for Spanish families to stay up all night after the feast in celebration of the important holiday.

Midnight Mass

Another important aspect of Christmas in Spain is the midnight mass which people usually attend before or after the meal, though this very much depends on what time they eat. This mass is known as the ‘Rooster Mass’ in Spain, because it was the rooster that first announced the celebrated birth of Jesus Christ. After this mass, it is time to exchange presents, but the gifts are not deemed as important in Spain as they are in other countries because ‘Papa Noel’ is not considered as important as the ‘Three Kings’ who visit on the 5th January. Celebrations continue after this all through the night with a party or a disco.

Christmas Day 

The day of the 25th is normally very quiet, and thought of as the quietest day in the Spanish calendar. People will go for a stroll around, or go out to a restaurant for a nice lunch. Generally, it is thought of as a day of recovery from the celebrations that went on the night before.