Blogger: Nicole

You can tell Christmas is coming up: it’s getting cold (yes, even in Madrid!), the Christmas tree at Puerta del Sol, the Christmas market at Plaza Mayor and the lights all around the city.

Like every country, Spain also has its traditions during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, I will return home before Christmas, so I won’t be in Madrid to celebrate, but I would like to share some traditions with you.

Now I finally know why the Spanish are singing dulce Navidad: because they love to eat sweets during Christmas!

ou can’t celebrate Christmas in Spain without:

Turrón
This nougat with almonds is usually shaped into a tablet or circle. The Spanish eat it as a dessert. Nougat exists all over the world but the Spanish also have a special hard version of this candy, the Alicante variety.

 

 

 

Panettone
Even though panettone orginially is Italian, the Spanish are eating loads as well. It’s a kind of bread in the shape of a cupola with chocolate chips and/or raisins in it.

 

 

 

 

Polvorones
The most famous and delicious polvorones (or mantecados) are the ones from Estepa. This kind of shortbread is made of flour, sugar, milk and nuts. Mostly it’s wrapped in paper and you have to squeeze it before you are going to eat it because it’s very crumbly.

 

 

 

Mazapán
Everyone knows marzipan: the mass made out of sugar and almond meal. For Christmas the Spanish made all kinds of shapes from it: Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, stars… They create the cutest things!

 

 

 

 

The 12 grapes at midnight
At midnight on December 31st, the Spanish have the tradition to eat 12 grapes, one for each church bell strike. The Madrilenians eat them at Puerta del Sol, watching the big clock at the square next to the big Christmas tree. This tradition was already established in the 14th Century!

 

 

 

Roscón de Reyes
The 6th of January is an exciting day, especially for the Spanish kids. This day the Reyes Magos are coming to Spain to bring presents! All the kids leave their shoes in the living room before they go to sleep and when they wake up there will be a present in it for the kids that behave well last year. The same day the whole family will share a Roscón de Reyes: a sweet, round cake. Inside there is a little trinket. Whoever finds it in their slice, will be appointed as king of the house and that means he has to pay for the roscón!

 

The whole Babylon Idiomas staff wishes you a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2014! See you after the Christmas break so we can learn even more new things the next year.