# Christmas



## LushKush (Nov 3, 2011)

Already thinking about how lucky I am not to be in the UK this winter but was wondering how people celebrate Christmas here in The Costas? Are turkeys and Christmas puds on the menu or do people opt for something else?

I suppose I'm asking what is a typical Spanish Christmas like?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

LushKush said:


> Already thinking about how lucky I am not to be in the UK this winter but was wondering how people celebrate Christmas here in The Costas? Are turkeys and Christmas puds on the menu or do people opt for something else?
> 
> I suppose I'm asking what is a typical Spanish Christmas like?


Some of the British restaurants do the "british christmas" thing. But the Spanish tend to celebrate the three kings on 5th January more. They go much more for the lights, the nativity and the three kings arrival!

I have to admit, that we always go back to the UK for christmas to celebrate with the family

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

LushKush said:


> Already thinking about how lucky I am not to be in the UK this winter but was wondering how people celebrate Christmas here in The Costas? Are turkeys and Christmas puds on the menu or do people opt for something else?
> 
> I suppose I'm asking what is a typical Spanish Christmas like?


we've always stayed here at home for C*******s - this will be our 9th 

turkeys are readily available, as is everything else you might want for an English style celebration - in brit/expat areas anyway

we usually have a late breakfast then head out to a bar on the beach to meet friends while our turkey is cooking slowly in the oven - so we combine Spain & the UK

the kids get 2 lots of pressies - both on 25th Dec & for 3 kings too - most of them in December usually though, simply because they go back to school the day after 3 Kings................I've never really understood that :confused2: - you'd think they'd get a couple of days to play with their new toys, especially since the hols don't even start till about the 23rd Dec!!!!


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## LushKush (Nov 3, 2011)

*Spanish Christmas?*



jojo said:


> Some of the British restaurants do the "british christmas" thing. But the Spanish tend to celebrate the three kings on 5th January more. They go much more for the lights, the nativity and the three kings arrival!
> 
> I have to admit, that we always go back to the UK for Christmas to celebrate with the family
> 
> Jo xxx


This sounds so different from a UK Christmas and how interesting that the main emphasis is the arrival of the three kings with the 5th January being the special day. Looking forward to this and I expect there will be lots of parties and festivals.

Not sure if I want to go to a British restaurant though I usually like to cook my own turkey but may try something different - I'd like to know what the locals consider to be good food for a special feast.

A friend of mine who recently relocated to Spain made English jelly and cream for her Spanish friends children and they absolutely loved it! Wonder if they would like a home cooked turkey too?


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## LushKush (Nov 3, 2011)

Glad to know that I'll be able to find a turkey - will take some getting used to putting it in the oven and then going off to the beach - no woolies and thermal socks needed!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lots of Spanish families have turkey at Christmas, but their main meal is the evening of the 24th (Nochebuena) followed by midnight mass and carol-singing (Spanish carols are called _villancicos_ and are much more lively than English ones).

Other popular feasts are a large baked fish or a suckling pig (cochinillo). Plus LOTS of cakes.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm going to add here that for roasting a turkey there is a far better way to do it than we traditionally do it in UK. Basically, the main problem with a bird this size is that the legs and breast cook at different times, so the idea is to remove the legs, bone them and roll the meat from the boned leg out. You get a rectangle. Put a layer of your favourite stuffing on top, roll it up and then cover it in two layers of foil, the inner layer should be lightly oiled on the inside to stop the meat from sticking. Cook in a roasting tin for about 30 minutes at 180C. Obviously you'll have two of them and usually one will be enough so you can freeze one for another day. This way, everybody can have some of dark meat, none of it is wasted and it is absolutely delicious. You can find videos of how to bone a turkey leg on YouTube and I think Ramsey also has a video showing how its doen. Also, before cooking the rest of the Turkey, remove the wish bone. This makes carving so much easier - like a crown.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

LushKush said:


> Glad to know that I'll be able to find a turkey - will take some getting used to putting it in the oven and then going off to the beach - no woolies and thermal socks needed!





will take some getting used to putting it in the oven and then going off to the beach - no woolies and thermal socks needed![/QUOTE]


Lol this is obviously your first winter in Spain, you might want to ask for thermal socks for Christmas.


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## gingham (Jun 23, 2011)

In our town christmas day is very, very quiet the major feast being Christmas Eve. Three kings is a different matter it is great to see the kids in Plaza Mayor all waiting for them to arrive and then the mad scramble for the sweets and presents thrown to them.
G


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Lol this is obviously your first winter in Spain, you might want to ask for thermal socks for Christmas.


yep - will for sure need the thermal socks - although in the middle of the day, but for sure at night.................and actually maybe in the of the day too - but INDOORS!!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I've got mine on already! Much warmer outdoors than in.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I would agree that Christmas is pretty low key. I mean there are lights in the streets and people are out buying stuff, but Christmas cards are few and far between for example. They are not exchanged between neighbours and friends normally. Presents, at least between adults, are much more common on the 6th of Jan than at Christmas. More and more children are getting 2 lots of presents, but it depends on the family which one is the biggie. Traditionally you put out your shoes, shiny and clean, and the presents are stacked up around them. Another thing that may be different to the UK is that the most traditional decoration in homes is a nativity scene (un belen). People may even dress up and represent the nativity scene and there are many displays in towns, a bit like going to see a model railway set up. However, Christmas itself is always a bit of a let down I feel.
New year is a big celebration when there are more people in the street and more parties. 
As for food, in my Spanish family there's not a fixed main dish, but there are always snails. More often than not there's some kind of sea food or fish. Polverones are also very usual (and very strange) and turron which is kind of like nougat. It comes in 2 varieties, hard and soft. The last tradition to tell you about is the coal. If children have been naughty during the year they are given a lump of coal with their presents. Nowadays this is actually a sweet which is sold in bakeries and probably supermarkets. The kids usually like it, 'cos it's just a lump of black sugar basically, but even so, they are suitably chastised when they see they have been given a lump of "coal".


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I would agree that Christmas is pretty low key. I mean there are lights in the streets and people are out buying stuff, but Christmas cards are few and far between for example. They are not exchanged between neighbours and friends normally. Presents, at least between adults, are much more common on the 6th of Jan than at Christmas. More and more children are getting 2 lots of presents, but it depends on the family which one is the biggie. Traditionally you put out your shoes, shiny and clean, and the presents are stacked up around them. Another thing that may be different to the UK is that the most traditional decoration in homes is a nativity scene (un belen). People may even dress up and represent the nativity scene and there are many displays in towns, a bit like going to see a model railway set up. However, Christmas itself is always a bit of a let down I feel.
> New year is a big celebration when there are more people in the street and more parties.
> As for food, in my Spanish family there's not a fixed main dish, but there are always snails. More often than not there's some kind of sea food or fish. Polverones are also very usual (and very strange) and turron which is kind of like nougat. It comes in 2 varieties, hard and soft. The last tradition to tell you about is the coal. If children have been naughty during the year they are given a lump of coal with their presents. Nowadays this is actually a sweet which is sold in bakeries and probably supermarkets. The kids usually like it, 'cos it's just a lump of black sugar basically, but even so, they are suitably chastised when they see they have been given a lump of "coal".



I rather like that it's a bit more low key - friends in the UK are already on a mad frantic spend spend spend making sure they have everything before the end of November..........either that or it was all done months ago including a turkey in the freezer!!

one thing I didn't mention before was that there won't be turkeys in the supermarkets until maybe a week before the big day - so don't panic - they'll be there in plenty of time & they'll be lovely fresh ones 

& I LOVE polverones!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I rather like that it's a bit more low key - friends in the UK are already on a mad frantic spend spend spend making sure they have everything before the end of November..........either that or it was all done months ago including a turkey in the freezer!!
> 
> one thing I didn't mention before was that there won't be turkeys in the supermarkets until maybe a week before the big day - so don't panic - they'll be there in plenty of time & they'll be lovely fresh ones
> 
> & I LOVE polverones!!


Yes, I can see what you mean, but I get all that frantic sensation with Reyes - and I don't even do the cooking.

I don't do turkey for Christmas day as there are only 3 of us, but we get turkey for thanksgiving that an American friend always invites us to. She has always told us it's difficult to get big turkeys and that should you want a large bird you should order it before.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

LushKush said:


> This sounds so different from a UK Christmas and how interesting that the main emphasis is the arrival of the three kings with the 5th January being the special day. Looking forward to this and I expect there will be lots of parties and festivals.
> 
> Not sure if I want to go to a British restaurant though I usually like to cook my own turkey but may try something different - I'd like to know what the locals consider to be good food for a special feast.
> 
> A friend of mine who recently relocated to Spain made English jelly and cream for her Spanish friends children and they absolutely loved it! Wonder if they would like a home cooked turkey too?


I once made trifle and the Spanish went mad over it!


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2011)

Alcalaina said:


> Lots of Spanish families have turkey at Christmas, but their main meal is the evening of the 24th (Nochebuena) followed by midnight mass and carol-singing (Spanish carols are called _villancicos_ and are much more lively than English ones).
> 
> Other popular feasts are a large baked fish or a suckling pig (cochinillo). Plus LOTS of cakes.


Up here, we have a huge dinner on the 24th then leftovers on the 25th. 
Then again, another enormous feast on the 31st and more on the 1st. 
Finally, and a bit more low key, we have another family meal on the 6th. 

If we can splurge, the fish on the 24th is besugo and the meat course is filet mignon. Cochinillo is quite rare up here. 

They say Americans eat too much, but between the work dinners and the family dinners, Christmas here is *hardcore.* The diet starts the 8th!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I once made trifle and the Spanish went mad over it!


On the boy's first birthday we invited some Spanish friends for the party. I cooked a variety of tapas dishes but with a British/French twist and they thought it was the best food they had ever eaten lol. Turns out he owns two restaurants and asked me to come and work for him. I politely refused.


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