Celebrations

Feast of the Immaculate Conception Spain

On 8 December, Spain celebrates the ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception’. It is a public holiday and, for many this is when Christmas officially starts. The feast was originally called the Conception of Mary and arose in the Eastern Catholic Church in the seventh century It spread to the West in the eighth century, and in the 11th century received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the 18th century it became a feast of the Roman Catholic Church.

The city of Seville is one of the best places to enjoy thus public holiday Music and dancing fill the streets of the city creating a mood of happiness and joy.

The origins of the celebrations may be religious but it is a popular feast where partying is just as prominent as the prayers to Mother Mary.

On this day los seises or the ‘dance of six’, is performed by a group of ten choir boys dressed in 16th-century costume. The group performs an elaborate ritual of rhythmic dances and melodic songs, which are performed in front of the Gothic cathedral in Seville.

At midnight groups of traditionally dressed tunos sing and play old serenades to Mother Mary Every university in Spain has los tunos, an acoustic band formed by students.

This feast is so popular that people congregate in cities all over Spain just to get together and play a part in the street parties going on.

Three kings day Spain

On 5 January Spain celebrates the end of Christmas with a great party where everybody gives and receives presents. It is to celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men - Melchior Caspar and Balthazar - to the city where Jesus was born. In the same way that the Three Wise Men gave gifts to baby Christ, here they share out presents amongst children around Spain - in fact; they are more popular than Santa Claus.

There are lots of processions of the Three Wise Men in each city, the children go along with there parents to see the kings and receive sweets from them.

Before going to sleep, children put some milk and biscuits next to the Christmas tree for the Three Kings and some water for their camels. They also leave out their best pair of shoes to be filled with presents.

On the next day, 6 January children wake up and see how many presents they have received. If they have been good, they will find a lot of good presents but if they have been naughty they will find coal. These days, the coal is actually made of sugar, but some years ago it was real coal.

During this day, all families enjoy a piece of roscon (a sugar-frosted fruit-filled bread) for breakfast tradition says that the person who finds a novelty such as a coin, in his or her portion will have good luck for the next year.

Both young and old enjoy opening their presents on this day, but sadly it also marks the end of Christmas.