4th-10th
December |
Autumn Festival
The sixth flamenco edition with an interesting line-up headed by Enrique Morente, this year the festival seeks to spread and promote the Andalusian flamenco heritage by paying special attention to artists from Granada. The stages for performances will be those of the Teatro Municipal Isabel la Católica and the "La Chumbera" Auditorium.
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6th
December |
'El Puente'
Bridge national holiday. Spain celebrates El Dia del Constitucion - Constitution Day. |
8th
December |
Immaculada
This is the public holiday of Immaculada (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) which marks the beginning of the religious Christmas celebrations. |
21st
December |
Celebration of Hogueras
In Granada the celebration of Hogueras (bonfires) takes place. This date marks the winter solstice (shortest day). Where it is celebrated people jump through fires to protect themselves against illness. |
22nd
December |
Christmas Lottery
All over Spain people never stray far from a TV as the Christmas lottery is drawn over a period of many hours. Nearly everybody in Spain buys tickets for this lottery in the hope of winning El Gordo (the fat one) and the winning number usually means that a good number of people from the same village become a lot better off overnight. |
24th
December |
Nochebuena
Christmas Eve is called Nochebuena in Spanish (Goodnight) and it is the most important family gathering of the year. In the evening people often meet early for a few drinks with friends then return home to enjoy a meal with the family. Prawn starters followed by roast lamb would be a typical meal, rounded off with a typically Christmas sweet called turrón which is a nougat made of toasted sweet almonds. Another typical festive sweet is called Polvorones which is made from almonds, flour and sugar |
25th
December |
Christmas Day
Children may receive a small gift on Christmas day but the day for presents is 6th January, Epiphany, when the Three Kings bring gifts for the children. Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain so shops are closed yet it is not a day of great celebration but rather a calm day when people go out for a walk, drop into a bar, etc. Another large family meal at lunchtime is common though it's becoming more common to see families eating out on the afternoon of Christmas day. |
28th
December |
Holy Innocents
This is the day of Santos Inocentes and is the equivalent of April Fools' Day when people play practical jokes on one another. In some villages youngsters of a village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to carry out civic tasks such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration. |
31st
December |
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is known as NocheVieja. It is a big celebration all over the country with street parties and special nights in hotels and clubs everywhere. Until midnight people tend to stay at home and on the stroke of midnight it is traditional to eat 12 grapes, one on each stroke of the clock to bring good luck for the new year. |
