Christmas in Spain
SPAIN:
Christmas is a deeply religious holiday in Spain. The
country's patron saint is the Virgin Mary and the Christmas season
officially begins December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
It is celebrated each year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in
Seville with a ceremony called los Seises or the "dance of
six." Oddly, the elaborate ritual dance is now performed by not six
but ten elaborately costumed boys. It is a series of precise movements
and gestures and is said to be quite moving and beautiful.
Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or
"the Good Night." It is a time for family members to gather
together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present
in nearly every home. A traditional Christmas treat is turron, a
kind of almond candy.
December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents. Young
boys of a town or village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor
who orders townspeople to perform civic chores such as sweeping the streets.
Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.
As in many European countries, the children of Spain
receive gifts on the feast of the Epiphany. The Magi are particularly
revered in Spain. It is believed that they travel through the countryside
reenacting their journey to Bethlehem every year at this time. Children
leave their shoes on the windowsills and fill them with straw, carrots,
and barley or the horses of the Wise Men. Their favorite is Balthazar who
rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts.
Last modified 12/04/98
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