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The Christmas feeling in Spain starts to emerge around mid-November when shop windows fill with toys and gifts. The streets are decorated with the typical motifs and Christmas lights.

Although there are a lots of traditions catholic countries share, Spain has a repertoire of unique customs amongs which the navitivity has to be mentioned which consists of a mini representation of the birth of Jesus. At times they are so detailed and carefully decorated that they almost verging on art.

If one had to determine when would be the kick-off of Christmas it would be the, without a shadow of doubt, the Christmas lottery draw on 22nd December, the day that coincides with the start of the students´ holidays, who themselves don’t return to the classrooms until 8th January. The first ever Christmas lottery draw took place in 1812 and, since then, a year hasn’t passed with it being celebrated. The odd thing about the lottery draw is that the numbers that are taken out of the drum are said by the children of San Ildefonso, previously selected by their tone of voice and clear pronunciation.

The meal of Christmas Eve, which is celebrated the day before Christmas and has a family feel, nothing is left to improvisation on this day: specially made dishes and carefully chosen sweets fill the tables of the majority of Spanish homes. The menu varies depending on the area of Spain. Suckling pig and lamb in Castile and Leon and Castile La Mancha, birds in Andalusia and seafood and fish on the coast. The dessert is normally turron and a marzipan dessert. Both desserts are arab influenced and are made primarily with almond and honey.

The day of the 28th December the day of the innocent saints is celebrated, whose origin is about the massacre of children that the King Herodes committed in Judeus. Currently this day is for playing tricks on friends and family, tricks and jokes that also the Media get involved with by broadcasting absurd facts and news which go down well with the population.

The day of New Year’s Eve, 31st December, the night is bidden farewell in a particular way: when the clock strikes twelve, Spanish people eat one grape for each sounding of the bell that, according to the tradition, guarantees 12 months of prosperity. The main squares all over Spain fill will people and they gather wherever the bell tower is and the partying on New Year´s Eve lasts until the early hours of the morning.

Festivities end 6th January with the day of the three wise Kings, when the children are the undoubtedly become the centre of attention. The day before they gather at the parade to welcome Melchoir, Gaspar and Balthasar, who parade on their camels and offer sweets to the public. Before going to bed children usually leave their shoes in a visible place in the house, where the three wise Kings can leave anxiously awaited gifts. During breakfast or after lunch the Roscón de Reyes is eaten, a cake made in the form of a ring and decorated with glace fruits which symbolize the rubies and the emeralds of the robes of the three wise Kings. Within the dough a surprise figure is hidden and broad bean; whoever finds the legume, will pay for the roscón, and the lucky one to find the figurine, will be crowned King, exactly how the custom goes "si es el haba lo encontrado el Roscón pagarás; más si ello es la figura, coronado y Rey serás..." (“The roscón you will pay if the bean be got, but King you will be crowned if it is the figure that is found”).

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