¡Navidad!

¡Navidad!

Christmas! 

The holidays start tomorrow so it feels right to discuss all things Christmassy, in an organised manner of course, not like a wiggly tinsel thread of thoughts... 

*What I said English people do for Xmas* 

-Pigs in Blankets, the kids think that we name this that is quite amazing 

-Open all our presents on Xmas day  

-We have Boxing day, which doesn't exist in Spain 

-Have snow, as implied by my snowflake/man flashcard, dreaming of a white Christmas... 

-Crackers, NOT SWEETS, for the last time they are not sweets or pinatas. 

-Burn our Christmas pudding after drowning it in alcohol 

-Eat mince pies, for which there is no translation or Spanish foodstuffs similar

*What Spanish People do* 

-Have their main dinner on Christmas eve, which is called Noche Buena 

-Have giant Nativity scenes, called a Belén which translates as Nativity but also as Bethlehem; most Nativities do depict the entire town complete with it's population and animals. Both my schools have room spanning examples. 

-Open very few, if any presents on Christmas day because...

-They celebrate los Reyes Magos (Melchior, Casper and Balthazar) on the 6th January; the 3 Wise Men bring them presents on the night of the 5th (they leave out water for the Camels and cookies & milk for the Reyes). There are parades on the 5th when the 'Kings' arrive, this year in Gijón they arrived by boat and in 2014 possibly by helicopter... 

-They eat Turrón a slab of sweetness varying in texture from marzipan to nougat and in every flavour imaginable. They also eat roscón de Reyes, a circular cake topped with glace fruit, in which is hidden a figure of baby Jesus and a bean; having Jesus in your slice is good luck for the new year but the bean means you have to pay for the cake. 

-At midnight of the 31st December, the 12 bells in Madrid are shown and as each one tolls every second, Spaniards eat 1 grape per second for each month for the year for luck. My teachers said you have to be careful as you can choke...  

*What I've done for Xmas* 

-Wrapped suitably Spanish presents to take home

-Eaten my advent chocolates everyday 

-Listened to Primary school children recite their English carols (with actions) 

-Toured the city Xmas lights 

-Made my first solo batch of mince pies (thank the Lord for Lidl selling mincemeat), which the teachers loved

2 tubs of butter in that pastry, but its Asturian, so it's ok.