Occupied with spending Christmas in Barcelona? Hold studying for extra on what to anticipate.
Because the lights are up throughout the town, and the Barcelona Christmas markets are out in full impact, there isn’t any higher time to go to the Catalan Capital! On this weblog, allow us to introduce you to a number of the finest Christmas traditions in Barcelona that can absolutely put you in the festive temper.
Winter is a nice time to go to Barcelona. Temperatures are fairly gentle at round 15 levels, and there’s little or no rain in the colder months. Winter is due to this fact a nice time of 12 months to rise up to some sightseeing. There are smaller crowds at standard vacationer locations such because the Sagrada Familia and Las Ramblas, in addition to much less busy public transport, making it simpler to get from level A to B.
With the gentle climate, for those who’re searching for someplace to rejoice a white Christmas in Spain, Barcelona in all probability isn’t the place for you.
Nevertheless, if you wish to rejoice Christmas with blue skies, surrounded by carollers, inspiring spiritual buildings, and unimaginable Christmas markets, with out feeling the necessity to shiver your manner via all of it, Barcelona is the place for you.
Celebrating Christmas in Barcelona like a native makes all of it that rather more thrilling, so let’s discuss you thru all the things you’ll want to know find out how to rejoice Christmas like a native right here in Barcelona.
See additionally: Guide to Experiencing the Best of Christmas Around the World
Local Christmas markets in Barcelona
A big a part of spending Christmas in Barcelona is visiting the numerous Christmas markets.
See additionally: New Year in Barcelona
La Fira de Santa Llúcia
This is likely one of the largest, most well- recognized and oldest markets in the town, this 12 months might be its 235th version, filling the realm exterior of the well-known Gothic Cathedral with over 283 stalls promoting all the things from collectible figurines to crops, to crafts and even Simbombes.
At this unimaginable market you will need to you’ll want to hold a look out for the cheeky ‘caganer’ determine, which is a conventional catalan figurine along with his trousers down, he’s mentioned to convey luck by fertilising the earth.
This place dates all the way in which again to 1786, happening on the day of Santa Llúcia, December thirteenth, that is a historic and thrilling place so that you can try this winter!
Opening dates: November thirtieth till December twenty third 10:00-21:00
La Fira de Nadal de la Sagrada Familia
These Christmas markets are barely smaller than the Santa Llúcia markets, however they’re positioned proper exterior the unimaginable Sagrada Familia, which you will need to go to for those who haven’t earlier than (it’s one of many prime Barcelona attractions).
They’ve a little of all the things right here, however most significantly they serve unimaginable tasty christmas treats, equivalent to roasted chestnuts, baked candy potatoes and churros with thick scorching chocolate!
Opening occasions: November twenty fourth to December twenty second 10:00- 21:00
La Fira de Reis
This Christmas market in Barcelona surrounds the concept of the celebration of the three kings in Spain (don’t fear, this might be additional defined shortly), the day in which the Spanish give out their foremost presents.
Stalls on the Fira de Reis promote primarily child’s toys and presents, making it a fairly ideally suited place to go discover a Reyes present for everybody who you’ll want to purchase for.
Opening occasions: twenty first December- sixth January 10:00- 21:00
Conventional Spanish Christmas Meals
Escudella
Escudella is a conventional christmas hotter, a form of stew which comprises all the things. It has hen, beef, pork spine, ham bone’s bouillon, veggies; carrots, potatoes, cabbage. It’s a fairly hypercaloric dish, however there’s nothing improper with that when it’s chilly exterior!
The proper dish to heat you up this winter.
Sopa de galets
Sopa de galets embrace big items of pasta, with which one will fill your spoon. The galets are the massive items of pasta that are stuffed with veggies or meats. The soup itself is a conventional soup made with bouillon, making it a very comforting chilly winter dish.
That is often eaten as a first course as a part of Christmas day lunch, on the twenty fifth of December.
Canelons
Canelons, or Cannelloni, is one in every of Catalonia’s favourites, often eaten on the day of Sant Esteve, celebrated on December twenty sixth. This dish contains Cannelloni full of both hen or meat and bechamel sauce, the distinction between this and your conventional Italian Cannelloni is that this dish doesn’t use tomato sauce.
Conventional Spanish Christmas Treats
Turrón
Turrón is likely one of the most well-known Spanish Christmas meals that you can see in Barcelona, in addition to being discovered in Italy and elements of South America. It dates again to the sixteenth century, and is loved everywhere in the Catalan capital throughout the vacation season. Turrón tastes virtually just like malteser chocolate, it’s made with honey, sugar, egg white and toasted almonds or different nuts.
This chocolate is extraordinarily tasty and might be discovered in simply your common grocery store at any time throughout Christmas.
Mantecados and Polvorones
Mantecados and polvorones might be discovered throughout supermarkets and department shops in the months main as much as Christmas. They’re little baked and crumbly Christmas cookies served with “Moscatel”. The distinction between mantecados and polvorones is the form, polvorones are oval and mantecados are spherical. They’re each just like shortbread, however simply are likely to crumble far more simply.
These candy treats are tremendous standard all through Catalonia, you’ll discover them in every single place!
Crema Catalana
Crema Catalana is just about the Catalan recipe for a Crème brûlée, first discovered in Catalan books in the 14th century. The recipe contains the usage of custard cream, over which sugar is poured and burnt with a scorching iron rod to create the trademark burnt crust.
This differs out of your common Crème brûlée via each its cooking technique & consistency, in addition to its cinnamon and lemon zest flavour versus your regular French vanilla.
Conventional Christmas enjoyable in Barcelona
Allow us to introduce you to some Catalonian Christmas traditions it’s possible you’ll encounter in your travels.
El Caganer
As you wander across the metropolis you’ll most probably come into contact with a small figurine, with a naughty facet. El Caganer is a little boy who, in the center of the nativity, pulls his trousers down and does a poo. While this will appear odd at first to the typical vacationer, this humorous character is massively standard in Catalonia. Actually, he’s seen as a image of prosperity, fertilising the soil of the land along with his poop! In Catalonia, households typically play video games with El Caganer and conceal him in the nativity scene for the others to search out, form of like a ‘The place’s Wally?’ of types.
You’ll discover his presence everywhere in the metropolis, and positively at each market you attend. Stalls typically promote superstar variations of the favored figurine, so you’ll want to look out on your favorite soccer gamers, and politicians doing their enterprise this festive season!
Tió de Nadal
The Tió de Nadal is another ubiquitous symbol of Christmas time in Catalonia. This Christmas log, also known as Caga Tió, has a bright red nose, smiley face and an adorable red hat on its head. As tradition goes, the hollow log is brought out on the 8th of December and, from then on, fed daily until the 25th. When the day finally comes, the log is beaten by the children of the family until it poops (we’re sensing a theme here!). After the Tió de Nadal has pooped, the children will find gifts for them to open, rather like the Santa Claus stocking tradition.
As the log poops, the children sing a song translated as:
Caga tió, hazelnuts and nougat, if you don’t want to poop I’m going to hit you with a stick, very hard, very hard
This year there will be a large Tió de Nadal outside of Barcelona Cathedral from the 3-18th of December. So what are you waiting for? Go and see him for yourself!
Nativity scene at the Museu Mares
What better way to get you in Christmas mode than seeing the nativity scene up close and personal? This year, at the Museu Mares, visit the baby Jesus in a beautiful setting and completely free of charge. You can visit from 10am-7pm from Tuesday to Saturday and from 11am till 8pm on Sundays and holidays. What fun!
Consult the Council’s website for additional info on timings and the place to search out the Museu.
La Fira de Santa Llúcia Market
On a regular basis from 10am until 9pm, go to Barcelona’s oldest and hottest Christmas market. The Fira de Santa Llúcia is the proper place to absorb the Christmas ambiance. With loads of stalls promoting handcrafted presents, in addition to meals stands and reside music, this isn’t one to overlook! The market is such enjoyable for all of the household, with actions happening to entertain guests of all ages. Our tip? Purchase come yummy churros and get caught in! There may be a lot to see, from the artwork and jewelry, to the enormous Tió de Nadal. What’s to not like?
Take a have a look at the market’s programme right here to see what’s on.
Barcelona is house to a number of the largest purchasing centres in Spain, and through Christmas there are a load of nice gross sales and offers to get you in the Christmas temper. These locations are additionally completely joyful to wrap your presents for you.
See additionally: Where to Find the Best Vintage Shops in Barcelona
The Diagonal Mar
A purchasing centre cut up into three flooring, to accommodate their 200 shops and 17 cinema screens, and even a bowling alley. This is likely one of the largest in Barcelona, and is recognised as an environmental mannequin as a result of their promoted values of environmental sustainability.
That is the proper place on your Christmas purchasing as all the things is in one place, in addition to this the purchasing centre is simply beside the Parc Diagonal Mar and Museu Blau, two very ideally suited areas for spending the day as a household.
Glòries Purchasing Mall
The Glòries shopping center is positioned in the Plaza de las Glorias Catalanes, surrounded by the unimaginable Torre Glòries (a big skyscraper which modifications color day and evening, it’s unimaginable!).
This place has 75 main shops, eating places and cinemas, with a lot free parking, charging factors, and so they even have a children membership play space!
Las Arenas Purchasing Centre
For purchasing like a actual native, why not go to a purchasing centre that was once a bullring! They’ve over six flooring, 115 outlets, a health centre, 12- display cinema, occasions corridor and several other bars and eating places. They even have a big terrace in which you will get a 360° view over Montjuïc.
Celebrating the Three Kings like a Local in Barcelona
In the direction of the tip of December most individuals world wide start to chill out and finalise their Christmas celebrations, nevertheless right here in Spain, that isn’t the case. The primary week of January is likely one of the most enjoyable occasions to go to Barcelona. Folks in Catalonia, in truth, will nonetheless be shopping for presents and making ready their Christmas dinners, while you may nonetheless admire the attractive Christmas lights throughout the town and put together your self for the arrival of The Three Kings or Los Reyes Magos.
These biblical characters come to Spain on the fifth and sixth of January to offer presents of presents and candy treats to the kids. On January fifth there’s a parade devoted to the three kings in which the Kings themselves arrive on the Av. Del Marquès de l’Argentera and journey 5km across the metropolis, ending on the Montjuïc Magic Fountains.
Historically, locals in Barcelona will go away meals out for the three kings and water for his or her camels, and a pair of footwear exterior their doorways or home windows for the three kings to fill with presents after the three kings parade. The morning of the sixth will present for the kids an array of presents, so long as they’ve been properly behaved!
One other enjoyable technique to rejoice Christmas in Europe…
Try this wildly terrifying, but extremely enjoyable Austrian custom the place Krampus’ (half-goat, half-demon) run via the streets of Graz throughout the Christmas season, punishing kids who’ve misbehaved this 12 months.
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