Christmas And New Year's Eve In Barcelona

As the Christmas season draws near, Barcelona, like many other cities around the world, undergoes a transformation. Many are convinced that consumerism has replaced tradition as far as the holidays are concerned but that isn't entirely true. It does seem like Christmas reaches the window displays at shopping centres before it does most people's calendars but luckily in Barcelona the options are many.

Santa Llúcia Market/ Sagrada Família Market
While the streets get adorned with decorations and lights, many areas around the city prepare to welcome the holidays. This is the case at the Plaza de la Catedral, site of the Santa Llúcia market that runs from early December until the 24th of the month. The market stalls offer an amazingly complete assortment of every Christmas ornament, decoration and figurine imaginable. Amongst the choices are, of course, typical Christmas trees (some real ones and some fake) and nativity scenes featuring all the classic characters including the "caganer". This is a figure representing a typical Catalan peasant (wearing a barretina, a traditional Catalan hat) who appears in the nativity scene displaying his naked buttocks. The inclusion of this figure in Catalan nativity scenes dates back to the 18th century when it was decided that some more popular elements should be incorporated. Nowadays, the caganer is an absolutely essential figure.

The Santa Llúcia market at the Plaza de la Catedral as well as the market next to the Sagrada Família also offer a large selection of handcrafted goods such as bracelets, rings, lamps and clothes. After all, Christmas is the gift-giving season.

Christmas Eve
December 24th ushers in Christmas Eve and with it a number of special visitors. In many Catalan homes, especially those with children, the "caga tió" makes an appearance a few hours before Santa Claus arrives. The "caga tió" is a round, wooden log that shows up at the children's house a few weeks before Christmas. A few days before the holiday, parents explain that the "tió" has gone to the mountain to eat and fatten up for the approaching holidays. With this excuse in hand, it is customary for families to spend a day outside (a tradition far more common in small Catalan villages than in the cities). Meanwhile, the adults hide the "tió" in a strategic place where the little ones will find him "by coincidence". In this manner, the "tió" returns home and the night of the 24th, after the children hit the log with a stick, the "tió" releases the presents.

Christmas and St. Stephen's / Boxing Day
The aforementioned Catalan tradition has not taken away from the role Santa Claus plays during the holiday. Presents pile up beneath the classic tree on the morning of the 25th. For obvious reasons, Santa Claus does not come down the chimney in Barcelona. However, children and adults alike get caught up in his magic during the holidays. The 25th is a day spent with the family, as is the 26th, St. Stephen's Day in all of Catalonia, which cannot be enjoyed properly without tasting the typical cannelloni that are traditionally prepared from scratch at most homes.

Many restaurants also prepare a main course consisting of homemade cannelloni on this day. Every year more and more families decide to escape the kitchen and eat out. Consequently, finding an open restaurant with available tables on these dates is no easy task without having a prior reservation.

New Year's Eve
For many people the night of December 31st is one of the most special nights of the year. The arrival of the New Year is celebrated by eating twelve grapes, one for each of the twelve chimes. And then the party begins.
Eating the grapes outside on the street is less common in Barcelona than in other places in Spain (in Madrid, for example, it is almost impossible to find a spot at the Puerta del Sol on New Year's Eve). Those that don't eat out usually leave the house shortly after midnight. All of the city's clubs and bars organise special parties (normally tickets are sold in advance at higher prices than regular nights). Some people prefer private parties and rent out a space to design to their own liking, others go to their regular, favourite clubs or bars and others choose to attend mega-parties held at sports arenas, etc. Whatever the preferred method, the idea is to spend the night out on the town and, for the truly nocturnal, to welcome the first sunrise of the year on the beach or with churros (a type of pastry) and hot chocolate.

Eve of the Three Kings
During the first week of the year, the children once again take the spotlight. On the eve of January 5th, the Three Kings (Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar) come to the city. Various neighbourhoods organise parades, but the main one begins in Port Vell with the kings disembarking their ship in the harbour, accompanied by their pages and an enormous procession.

The parade route varies every year but normally the entire city centre participates in the festivities. The day ends with an early night so that the Three Kings can work hassle-free and leave presents for everyone to discover the next morning. That is, of course, if a letter was written to the kings beforehand listing all wishes. After that, it up to them to decide how generous to be.

Another Catalan culinary tradition that should be given a try is eating a "tortell de Reis" (King's Cake) on this day. It is a round, sponge cake available at all bakeries that includes a surprise on the inside. The cake is cut into little pieces (one for each person at the table). The lucky person who finds the figurine of the king in their slice gets to put on a paper crown. On the other hand, the person who finds the typical "faba" (a type of bean) has to cover the cost of the cake.

Of course, it isn't necessary to follow every tradition to the letter nor should all of them be celebrated at the same time. The goal is for everyone to enjoy Christmas in their own way in a city that offers an equal amount of tradition and fun during this holiday period.