You can buy Spanish Christmas lottery tickets online. In the evening people often meet early for a few drinks with friends then return home to enjoy a meal with the family. Most bars and restaurants close in the evening. Another typical festive sweet is called Polvorones which is made from almonds, flour and sugar.
Cava, Catalan champagne, would be the chosen drink for the Christmas toast though plenty fine Spanish wines will also be consumed with the meal.
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. Often the national media will include a nonsense story in their broadcasts. In some villages youngsters 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. 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. In Madrid and other main cities revellers congregate in the main square Puerta del Sol in Madrid and eat the grapes along with a celebratory bottle of cava then head out into the night until after sunrise.
Every town has its own variation such as in the Sierra Nevada where the Three Kings Wise Men can be seen to ski down to the village. Santa may leave them a token gift on December 25th but the Three Kings are their favourites, especially Baltasar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts. During the day of 6th the Three Kings continue their good work and are seen distributing gifts to children in hospitals all over Spain. Two large brands like Freixenet and Codorniu are based in Sant Sadurni.
Millions of bottles of cava are opened every year at the same moment at Spanish homes and parties when the new year arrives. Cava consumption grew in the last decades of the XX century thanks to great marketing campaigns from the major cava producers. You can learn more about cava production by joining a cava tasting tour from Barcelona. A great day to start the year in a good way! The drawing of the Spanish Christmas lottery on December 22 nd marks the beginning of the Christmas festivities for Spaniards.
The grand prize is not that large compared to other lotteries, but it is the most distributed in terms of winnings. Besides El Gordo, thousands of smaller prizes are won by lucky people all over Spain.
Almost everyone in the country takes part in some way, either by purchasing tickets on their own or taking part in a pool. Just before the clock hits midnight, the Spaniards have what can be considered a peculiar tradition. All around the country, the old and young have their 12 sour green grapes ready to ring in the new year, one for every strike of the clock. It is said that if you manage to eat the twelve grapes in the 12 strikes before midnight, you are guaranteed good fortune for the New Year.
The cake is a round or oval shape with a whole in the middle and is usually decorated with candied fruits. This tradition also entails placing a small figurine and a bean inside the cake. The person who finds the figurine has good luck for the year and the unlucky person who finds the bean has to pay for the cake. The three kings, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, can be seen on big floats from which they throw candy to the children on the street.
The following day, Los Reyes Magos , as they are called in Spanish, have arrived from the east and left gifts behind which the children open excitedly as soon as they wake up in the morning.
All children write their letter to the Reyes Magos, and on January the 6th a special cake is eaten with chocolate: the Roscon de Reyes. Many companies today continue to provide their employees with a cesta de navidad. The tradition to provide a basket with food dates back to the Roman Empire. In Spain this tradition remains very active and some companies dedicate a very important budget to ensure their Christmas baskets are special.
Originally an extra payment provided by companies for Christmas, the Aguinaldo is now a tip offered for some services during Christmas or a bit of pocket money given to children that sing carols from home to home. About us Blog Wine Regions Spanish wine. EN ES. The Spanish National Lottery is a big deal at Christmas time, and almost everyone plays it, making it the biggest lottery draw in the world.
Taking place on December 22, it has been held every year since , and the winning numbers are sung out by school children. This is the day for playing pranks, or dressing up in funny wigs and hats.
On the night of January 5, the Kings parade through the towns across the country with their entourage of helpers, animals and elaborate floats, throwing sweets out for the children. When the kids return home, they leave out their shoes for the Kings to fill with presents overnight. A sweet bread ring, it is topped with crushed almonds and candied fruits, and is sometimes stuffed with whipped cream.
We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK".
Sign Up. Travel Guides. Videos Beyond Hollywood Hungerlust Pioneers of love.
0コメント