Spanish Christmas Traditions: A Madrileña’s Guide (22 Dec to 6 Jan)

Hola! I’m Mónica, a Spanish teacher from Madrid. If you spend Christmas in Spain, you’ll notice quickly: it’s longer, louder and much more about food than you expected. Here are the traditions, in the order they happen, with the Spanish words you need for each one.

The Spanish Christmas calendar

Date	Tradition	Spanish word
22 Dec	The Christmas lottery	El Gordo
24 Dec	Big family dinner	La Nochebuena
25 Dec	Christmas Day, family lunch	El día de Navidad
28 Dec	Spanish April Fools’ Day	Los Santos Inocentes
31 Dec	12 grapes at midnight	La Nochevieja
5 Jan	Three Kings parades	La cabalgata de Reyes
6 Jan	Presents + roscón cake	El día de Reyes

1. El Gordo (22 December)

Christmas in Spain officially starts with the lottery. On the morning of the 22nd, children from a Madrid school sing the winning numbers on TV, and the whole country listens. People share tickets with family, friends and colleagues, so when a number wins, a whole office or a whole village celebrates. Full guide: how El Gordo works.

2. Nochebuena (24 December)

For most Spaniards, the most important night is not the 25th but the 24th: Nochebuena (“the good night”). The family gets together for a long dinner: seafood, roast lamb, ham, and turrón for dessert. Some people go to the Misa del Gallo (midnight mass), and many watch the King’s Christmas speech on TV.

3. El belén (the nativity scene)

Many homes, churches and town halls set up a belén, a nativity scene, sometimes huge, with entire villages, rivers and markets. In Catalonia, look for the caganer: a little figure doing his business in a corner of the scene. Yes, really.

4. Turrón, polvorones and mantecados

The Christmas sweets: turrón (nougat, hard or soft), polvorones and mantecados (crumbly shortbread that turns to dust in your mouth). Try saying something with a mouthful of polvorón. It’s a national sport.

5. Los Santos Inocentes (28 December)

Spain’s April Fools’ Day. People play jokes, newspapers publish fake news, and the classic prank is sticking a paper doll on someone’s back. If someone tricks you, they shout: ¡Inocente, inocente! Yes, they’re tomándote el pelo.

6. Nochevieja and the 12 grapes (31 December)

At midnight, everyone eats 12 grapes, one with each chime of the clock in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, for good luck in each month of the new year. It’s harder than it sounds. Everything about it here: the 12 grapes tradition.

7. Los Reyes Magos (5 and 6 January)

In Spain, the presents traditionally come from the Three Wise Men, not Santa (although Papá Noel is more and more common). On the evening of the 5th, every town has a cabalgata, a parade where the Kings throw sweets to the children. Kids leave their shoes out, and in the morning there are presents, or a lump of sweet “coal” if they’ve been naughty. Then everyone eats roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake with a little figure hidden inside. Here’s the Three Kings parade in Madrid.

Regional traditions

• Catalonia: the Tió de Nadal, a log with a face that kids “feed” and then hit with sticks until it “poops” presents.
• Basque Country: Olentzero, a coal-maker who brings presents on Christmas Eve.
• Everywhere: la cena de empresa, the work Christmas dinner, a tradition in itself.

FAQ

When do Spanish children get their presents?

Traditionally on 6 January, from the Three Kings. Many families now also have presents from Papá Noel on the 25th.

What is the most important day of Christmas in Spain?

For most families, Nochebuena (24 December), with the big family dinner.

What do Spaniards eat at Christmas?

Seafood, roast lamb, ham, turrón, polvorones and, on 6 January, roscón de Reyes.

How do you say “Christmas traditions” in Spanish?

Las tradiciones navideñas or las tradiciones de Navidad.

More about Christmas in Spain

• How to say Merry Christmas in Spanish
• What Feliz Navidad means
• The 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve
• Christmas in Madrid: a local’s survival guide
• El Gordo: Spain’s Christmas lottery
• The Three Kings parade in Madrid

Want to celebrate in Spanish this year?

Christmas is the best time to practise Spanish: long dinners, lots of talking and, in Spain, a cuñado with opinions about everything. Download my free guide with 100 real Spanish phrases above, and if you want to know what’s stopping you from speaking, book your Spanish Speaking Roadmap call below.

— Monica Bernabe Perez

Learning Spanish in Australia? I taught Spanish at UWA and now teach learners all over the country, in small groups or one-to-one: Spanish classes in Perth, Spanish lessons in Sydney and Spanish classes in Adelaide.