Christmas in Spain is very excited. In the school all the children begin with the preparation of the stable of Bethlehem and the decoration of the Christmas tree. Also they prepare Carols and Christmas theatres. It's a very hard work, I know because I was participating with all of them. You can verify in the photos that it is in the album of " Giacommo in Spain "
But the most exciting thing begins on December the 22nd. Not only we begin the Christmas holidays but it is the special drawing of Christmas Lottery. Everyone is very excited... listening to the radio, watching the TV, speaking some with others ... hoping that the first prize is sung, to this prize they call it “El gordo” (“the fat”...you can win lots of money).
Two days later, the night of December the 24th, Christmas Eve, is the family dinner. After different canapés, salted ham, chesse,...,the most common is to cook lamb or stuffed chicken, and for dessert there is a tray on the table filled with all kinds of nougat, marzipan, traditional Christmas sweet homemade, etc. Christmas Day is also a day to share with family.
New Year Eve and New Year is different, most of the people spend it with friends but there are some of them that still spend it in family. On Dicember the 31st at midnight they eat 12 grapes, a grape with each stroke of the clock.
It is said that if you eat all the grapes in time and without choking, you will be lucky the twelve months of the New Year.
The Spanish Christmas ends with the arrival of the Three Wise Men. On the night of January the 5th all children with their parents are going to see the procession of the Three Wise Men that are celebrated in all villages and cities while it comes the most magical night in the year. Already January the 6th , the Epiphany, as soon as the gifts are opened, they eat the traditional “Roscón de Reyes”.
Pictures_of_Spanish_food_in_Christmas.doc