# Winter in Spain



## SPECKY (Nov 12, 2014)

Hi 
Me and my wife are thinking about relocating to Spain but we would like to know what most expats do over the winter months ie Xmas


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

We used to go back and stay with family in the UK.

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

just saw on La1 (sound's off cos I'm working) that this has been 



> el invierno con más hielo que nunca


the coldest winter ever.....

it wasn't just me then....


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> just saw on La1 (sound's off cos I'm working) that this has been
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It felt that way to me, certainly for as long as we've been here on a full time basis.

We don't go back to the UK for Xmas or New Year. I usually go at the beginning of December for a few days, when the flights are cheaper. OH stays at home (by choice).

We are firmly in the bah, humbug school of thought so don't really celebrate Christmas. It is fairly quiet around here for that whole week.

As far as winter in general is concerned we do pretty much what we do the rest of the year. Generally have a short break somewhere for the OH's birthday. For the last two years we've had an overnight stay in Malaga some time in December as well, for a night out and to see the Xmas lights. Next winter we're taking a long haul holiday for the first time since we've been here as permanent residents, will be a nice change.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

SPECKY said:


> Hi
> Me and my wife are thinking about relocating to Spain but we would like to know what most expats do over the winter months ie Xmas


Depending on where you decide to spend Christmas, certainly you are guaranteed better weather than in the UK. What do expats do at Christmas? Simple:-
1. Celebrate with the same dinner one would have had in the UK or Ireland.
2. Visit friends and have friends visit you.
3. Sunshine permitting, I would try a swim in the Med on Christmas Day and New Year's Day (and even in between).
4. There is always a buzz on the Costas from Christmas Eve until 6th January. The Spaniards celebrate Christmas too, but their Biggy is on the eve of 5th January and all day on 6th January (Festival of the Kings).

Now for the rest of the Winter - What expats do:-
(a) Walk, make friends, learn Spanish, enjoy a jar, watch tv sport, catch up on soaps, work (when it can be got), play golf etc . . .
(b) Write that book, think, rest, exercise, catch up on films missed.
(c) If you feel like it, do absolutely nothing.
(d) Moan about life in northern europe and wonder what tee shirt and shorts to be worn today . . .
(e) Read (expats read up on the old country better than non expats).

and . . .(f) Open that bottle of Rioja . . . next silly question please!


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## SPECKY (Nov 12, 2014)

Hi Leper
Thanks for the reply this sounds okay to me


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I do exactly what I did when I lived in the UK and also elsewhere in Europe.
Depending on the weather, get up, take dogs for a walk, have lunch, read or watch tv, maybe see friends. My son, wife and grandsons spent Christmas with us when we lived in Prague which was pleasant but as we don't celebrate Christmas, none of us being religious, it's like any other day.
This past December 25th it was hot and sunny here so we walked the dogs in Tshirts. Other Christmas Days it's been wet, cold or cloudy.
No exotic customs in our house at any time of the year. Life goes on as normal.


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## tonymar (Jan 29, 2015)

SPECKY said:


> Hi
> Me and my wife are thinking about relocating to Spain but we would like to know what most expats do over the winter months ie Xmas


Hi Specky

The main difference between the Uk and Spain ( Costa Blanca ) is that even in the winter although it can be chilly during the day it is generally bright and sunny .
Rather than wet and grey .

I personal find the brightness really cheers me up .

So it is quite nice to go out , for a coffee , walk etc , 

Well Christmas Day is a bit of a non event for most Spanish as they do most of their celebrating on Christmas eve .

But I think most of us expats , that live here full time , just celebrate it as if we were in the Uk ! ( and have noticed the Spanish are embracing the father Christmas, trees, decs more and more , rather than just the 3 kings 


It possible to get UK food , for example mince pies etc from shops like Iceland that operate here .

Cheers Tony


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## angkag (Oct 29, 2013)

loved it here at xmas. Some restaurants offer a traditional (British) lunch and the weather is great - on the cool side, but usually bright and sunny (only one of two days when I found myself saying to the kids "this is what UK weather is like, except its 10 degrees colder there and it goes on for months ").

Swimming in the sea ? yee gods - polar bears only, or have I just gone soft ?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

SPECKY said:


> Hi
> Me and my wife are thinking about relocating to Spain but we would like to know what most expats do over the winter months ie Xmas



Winter here, (Canary Islands), doesn't really happen, the weather changes and November sees the spring flowers appearing, usually due to rain. So life in what is winter in other parts of Spanish territories, goes on as normal in the sunny Canary Isles, no snow, no frosts to contend with.

Christmas here is for families, this makes the town absolutely dead, so for the past few years we have gone away for Christmas and new year.

A 45 minute flight takes us to the bustling cosmopolitan City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, we stay in a hotel overlooking the famous Las Canteras beach, where we can enjoy the many restaurants and bars, replenish things we cannot source here, in the many shops, walk for miles and generally enjoy ourselves.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Our Christmas is pretty much the same as it used to be in UK. One of the 'traditions' we like to keep. All the kinds of foods etc we enjoyed in UK are available here. A couple of Christmases ago we had a BBQ on Boxing Day which felt a bit Australian. The nights can be very cold so we spend time on catchup tv and movies as we don't watch much from about now through to Christmas.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

We stay in Spain and enjoy Christmas in the village, where it is much less commercialised than in the UK (and doesn't start in September!) We have our Christmas dinner in the evening of the 24th, like our Spanish neighbours do, and usually go for a long walk on the beach on Christmas day then eat an ice cream in the sunshine.

Many of the Brits I know go back to the UK in December and come back with horrendous tales of delayed or cancelled flights, getting stuck in traffic jams, having to pay excess baggage charges for their suitcases full of gifts, and family arguments about who stays where.

We just smile benignly and say nothing.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Our first two Christmases here were spent in the company of Spanish friends/neighbours with a huge meal and festivities at midnight on Christmas Eve (noche buena), then the rest of Christmas, quietly until New Year's Eve (noche vieja) at neighbours' houses (we use Asturian cider [sidra] for toasts rather than the French overpriced stuff), join in for Reyes (5th/6th Jan). The last 3 Christmases we have gone to one of the Natural Parks and rented an apartment (centrally heated!) and our Chrissy Pressy to ourselves had been to take a 4x4 guided trip up into the restricted areas to see wildlife and snow. This year we are planning to be at home again. Christmas day we normally have a roast (usually chicken) with all the trimmings done in our halogen oven, with home-made Christmas Pudding.

In the week running up to Christmas we usually have a villancicos (Spanish Christmas carols and and songs) evening at our house with the neighbours, the local nuns, etc. The grandson of one of them, if he is home (he studies at the Royal College of Music in London) plus his girlfriend (also at RCM) bring violin and viola, one of the nuns brings her guitar and the rest of us improvise on the sides of aguardiente bottles, saucepan lids, etc. 

We usually provide food and drink (the usual sausage rolls, bacon and cheese rolls, mince pies, cheese straws - all home made) various wines (including home made cherry wine), aguardiente, sherries and beer for those who prefer.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I do wish people wouldn't post the same question in two different thread.

My answer from the other thread:
Our first two Christmases here were spent in the company of Spanish friends/neighbours with a huge meal and festivities at midnight on Christmas Eve (noche buena), then the rest of Christmas, quietly until New Year's Eve (noche vieja) at neighbours' houses (we use Asturian cider [sidra] for toasts rather than the French overpriced stuff), join in for Reyes (5th/6th Jan). The last 3 Christmases we have gone to one of the Natural Parks and rented an apartment (centrally heated!) and our Chrissy Pressy to ourselves had been to take a 4x4 guided trip up into the restricted areas to see wildlife and snow. This year we are planning to be at home again. Christmas day we normally have a roast (usually chicken) with all the trimmings done in our halogen oven, with home-made Christmas Pudding.

In the week running up to Christmas we usually have a villancicos (Spanish Christmas carols and and songs) evening at our house with the neighbours, the local nuns, etc. The grandson of one of them, if he is home (he studies at the Royal College of Music in London) plus his girlfriend (also at RCM) bring violin and viola, one of the nuns brings her guitar and the rest of us improvise on the sides of aguardiente bottles, saucepan lids, etc. 

We usually provide food and drink (the usual sausage rolls, bacon and cheese rolls, mince pies, cheese straws - all home made) various wines (including home made cherry wine), aguardiente, sherries and beer for those who prefer.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> We stay in Spain and enjoy Christmas in the village, where it is much less commercialised than in the UK (and doesn't start in September!) We have our Christmas dinner in the evening of the 24th, like our Spanish neighbours do, and usually go for a long walk on the beach on Christmas day then eat an ice cream in the sunshine.
> 
> Many of the Brits I know go back to the UK in December and come back with horrendous tales of delayed or cancelled flights, getting stuck in traffic jams, having to pay excess baggage charges for their suitcases full of gifts, and family arguments about who stays where.
> 
> We just smile benignly and say nothing.


Excellent post and describes what expats who stay in Spain might do and think about the Christmas they are missing "back home." Baldilocks joined in and his post is excellent too and what he does would be indicative of some people.

You won't be generally aware of the Christmas Hype until after the first seven days of December. Even the shops do not bombard us with their Christmas advertising. The hype is not as high as in northern europe and the emphasis is on the Nativity rather than that guy in the red suit coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve. Like Baldilocks informed us the Spaniards start their Christmas holiday period with a fine meal on Christmas Eve and everything finishes on 6th January with the exchanging of gifts.

Compare that to Ireland. From August the shops start playing their Christmas music and ensure we see their Christmas banners continuously. By the time Christmas comes we've missed what Christmas means and the people who have flickering Christmas trees since September have taken down every Christmas decoration (including tree) by Christmas Night and if not the following day (St-Stephen's Day or Boxing Day) at the latest. 

If the expat decides to spend some time during the Christmas period in the home country flights get much cheaper from 27th December.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

For us it was simply because we had three daughters in the uk who wanted us there, two kids with us who wanted to be in the uk at Christmas and my husband plays in a band in the uk and Christmas is their busiest time. So he'd have been there regardless 

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> just saw on La1 (sound's off cos I'm working) that this has been
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No apparently it was a cold one here as well.

This was our first christmas, and i found it VERY hard. BUT we have many Spanish friends and went to friends for traditional Spanish christmas and then invited them to us for a traditional English xmas. In the end it all went well.


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