Christmas in Spain
Rather refreshingly, Spain doesn't seem to start gearing up for
Christmas until they get into the month of December. It's not
the huge commercial circus that it is in the US and the UK; the
lights and decorations won't be seen until the start of December
and gradually Christmas markets start to appear and trees can be
bought in the streets.
It's also worth noting that Spain is largely a Roman catholic
nation so the festivities still hold important religious
connotations, the first date of note is December 8th, Immaculada
(the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), this really kicks of
the start of the religious celebrations. The holiday period
really begins on December 22nd when all of Spain tunes into the
television or radio to hear the results of "El Gordo", a huge
lottery draw that will see thousands of prizes dished out to
winners from across the country.
Christmas Eve is a huge family day in Spain and is known as
"Nochebuena". A massive meal will be prepared for what is the
biggest feast of the year and the most important family
gathering. Fish and shellfish are usually consumed to start
with, followed by a roast such as lamb or a suckling pig and
desert is the traditional marzipan or Turr