ENCHANTING CHRISTMAS TIME IN COSTA BRAVA AND BARCELONA
Lujo.com team is getting into the Christmas spirit and gives you the best of Christmas in Costa Brava and Barcelona
At lujo.com we love celebrating Christmas and we are to help you explore the best of the region during this festive holiday!
Costa Brava and Barcelona at Christmas is an enchanting, magical place among the best in Europe to visit during the holidays with its own traditions and celebrations.
BARCELONA AT CHRISTMAS:
A short journey from the Costa Brava is the Catalan capital of Barcelona.
Barcelona at Christmas is an enchanting, magical place among the best in Europe to visit during the holidays with its own traditions and celebrations.
The holiday season has finally arrived in Barcelona, and with it comes plenty of bright and colourful lights, and, of course, the oldest Christmas market in the history of the Catalan capital: The Fira de Santa Llúcia!The 230th edition of this massive outdoor fair will run from November 25th until December 23rd outside the Barcelona Cathedral, filling the Plà de la Seu square with over 283 stalls where you will find tons of handmade gifts, figurines for nativity scenes, and plenty of traditional Christmas decorations. http://en.firadesantallucia.cat
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN CATALONIA.
Catalonia is remarkable for its features and its rich culture. Therefore, we select the best Christmas traditions in Catalonia.
1-THE NATIVITY SCENE
In Spain it has always been a tradition to display nativity scenes at home when Christmas approaches. This scene represents the birth of Jesus, normally people use plastic figures, moss for the greenery and tinfoil to recreate the river.
Many towns of the area of Girona, these scenes can also be found outside. We call this living nativity scenes (or in catalan, pessebres vivents). Basically it’s a performance that takes people on a journey through the town recreating the nativity scene in real life.
The Nativity Scene in Barcelona 2016
The nativity scene in Pl. Sant Jaume is the work of the artists Toti Toronell and Quim Domene and is inspired by a poem by Josep Vicent Foix.
It can be visited from 25 November to 8 January and is open from 10 am to 10 pm "Everyone knows, it's a prophecy” - a nativity scene based on the poem by J.V. Foix and performed by artists Domene i Toronell will fill create a magical space in Plaça Sant Jaume. Quim Domene and Toti Toronell will perform each verse of the poem in which the poet illustrates different everyday Christmas scenes, with an emphasis on the universe of iconography and characters from popular Christmas culture. A contemporary look at the magic aroused by the poem's verses and Catalan Christmas customs, paying homage to the great Barcelona poet on the 30th anniversary of his death in January 1987.
http://guia.barcelona.cat/en/detall/the-nativity-scene-in-placa-sant-jaume_1325111455.html
http://en.costabrava.org/events/event/living-nativity-scenes
THE CAGANER
You cannot have a nativity scene without a caganer (" the pooping man") . A character only found in nativity scenes in Catalonia .
El Caganer is a litle procelain figure of a man, who wears the traditional Catalan "barretina" red beret and and has his trousers down, his backside bare and is defecating!
Caganer is a sign of good-luck, his poo fertilises the land and provides a good harvest for the year to come.
Putting one of these figures in the scene is believed to bring good luck. The caganer’s fame is such that, these days he is given the face of famous people in the news and people from the world of entertainment.
2-CAGATIÓ- SANTA CLAUS ALTERNATIVE- 24-25 of December
You might be surprised to learn that in Catalonia it’s not Santa Claus, Father Christmas or Baby Jesus who bring presents.
This Catalan tradition might appear strange at the first sight, but kids absolutely love it.
According to tradition, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception we have to start feeding the Christmas Tió, a magic log that poos presents on Christmas Eve, although he might poo coal if the children have behaved badly!”
The story goes that in the days preceding Christmas, children must take good care of the log, keeping it warm and feeding it, so that it will poop presents on Christmas Day.
On Christmas Day or, in some houses on Christmas Eve. Children are supposed to leave the room and pray for Tió to brings them some gifts When the kids come back, they are supposed to hit it with a stick while singing a traditional song which apparently makes the Tió shit out some presents.
In Barcelona you can see how the whole thing with the magic log Tió works daily from 28 November until 16 December in the Cathedral square from 10:30 – 13:30 Monday to Saturday, and 10:30 till 13:30, 16:30 till 19:00h Sundays and public holidays.
http://guia.barcelona.cat/en/detall/giant-lsquotiorsquo-pooping-log-in-av-catedral_99400173630.html
3-CHRISTMAS DAY
in Catalunya it is usual to get together with family and loved ones to enjoy a festive meal, which usually includes pasta shell soup, escudella, and the typical sweets: turrons and neules, among other delicious treats.
4-ST STEPHEN DAY- Galets soup and Sant Esteve’s cannelloni- 26th of December
On the 26 December, The Feast of St. Stephen, as known in Barcelona, is another day for getting together with relatives, especially those you didn’t spend Christmas Day with, and savouring the typical St. Stephen’s cannelloni.
5-ELS PASTORETS
It is typical at Christmas for theatres of all sizes to put on Els pastorets. This stage production, which dates back to the 17th century, combines scenes from the birth of Jesus with a dispute between angels and devils.
6-HOLY INNOCENTS’ DAY- 28th of December
Holy Innocents’ Day, when practical jokes and pranks can catch you by surprise at every turn, is held on 28 December every year. In many countries it is celebrated in April and known as April’s fool day, but Catalunya proudly holds this tradition. Beware and watch your back!
7-MAN OF THE NOSES- 31st of December
Home dels nassos is a character in Catalan myths and legends. Home dels nassos is translated as "Man of the noses".
The legend says that this man has as many noses as the year has days. In this way, children of Catalonia are led to believe that there is a man with 365 noses, and they are asked to search him on last day of the year, but of course, being the last day of the year, he conveniently and ironically has only one nose remaining.
On December 31st ! Everyone is l'home dels nassos the last day of the year!
8-THE THREE KINGS FROM THE EAST-5 and 6 of January
Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar are the Three Kings from the East who, on 5 January go from house to house to bring presents to all the children who previously had written them a letter. Traditionally the presents are opened on 6 January, known as Kings’ Day, in the morning.
These three characters are inspired by the magic men who took presents to the infant Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament.
Arrival of the 3 Kings – 5 January 2016, 18:00 – 21:00h
As every year the Magic Kings will arrive in Barcelona and all the cities in Catalonia in a cortege along with magic creatures, surprises and tons of sweets for everyone.
They will deliver the presents for kids which are opened on 6 of January in the morning. It is a spectacular parade with music, lights and decoration: even if you don’t have kids make sure to come to one of the big streets, it is worth seeing.
http://guia.barcelona.cat/en/detall/la-cavalcada-de-reis_99400030275.html
http://en.costabrava.org/events/event/parade-of-the-three-kings
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