Spain: Catalunya (Christmas, NYE, Epiphany)
We experienced some new holiday traditions this year, unlike any that we had experienced before in the U.S., Argentina, Nicaragua, or Costa Rica. The holidays in Spain (Catalonia, to be more specific) involve their own unique traditions, some a little odder than the rest:
Christmas
Some countries have Santa Claus, while others have St. Nicholas. Catalonia has Caga Tío, which is a yule log with a painted on smiley face who defecates Christmas presents after being whacked by sticks. This is not a joke.
New Year's Eve
The tradition in all of Spain on New Year's Eve is to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. This is not a casual, take-your-time, and don't-choke-on-the-seed kind of grape eating. Oh, no. A bell is rung for each of the first seconds of the new year, and one grape is to be eaten for each bell chime. This definitely deserves some strategy and preparation. Some prefer to peel the skin off of each grape and take out the seeds before chowing down. Others chomp right through the skin and seed as they fill their cheeks like acorn-gathering squirrels.
Epiphany, also known as Día de los Reyes Magos
Kids in Spain receive presents on Christmas, much like in other Christmas celebrations around the world. Kids in Spain then receive more presents when the three kings arrive a couple weeks later. We saw the three kings arrive on the eve of January 6th in true Mediterranean fashion--ON A BOAT--and proceed to parade down the streets, collecting the letters from all the boys and girls who had written to them, detailing the gifts they hoped to receive. After gathering stacks upon stacks of letters, the kings mounted their camels and paraded out.
With Caga Tío, grapes, and kings, the Spaniards sure diversified our holiday celebrations this year. We spent the holiday season in Lloret de Mar, up the coast from Barcelona. Check out our seaside photos here. After wrapping up all the excitement, we headed back to Barcelona to check out some sights that we didn't get to the first time around. Check out our photos from Barcelona here.
Some countries have Santa Claus, while others have St. Nicholas. Catalonia has Caga Tío, which is a yule log with a painted on smiley face who defecates Christmas presents after being whacked by sticks. This is not a joke.
The Catalans place the log inside their homes and cover him with a blanket to keep him warm. When present time rolls around at midnight on Christmas Eve, the kids beat him with sticks until he produces their presents.
New Year's Eve
The tradition in all of Spain on New Year's Eve is to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. This is not a casual, take-your-time, and don't-choke-on-the-seed kind of grape eating. Oh, no. A bell is rung for each of the first seconds of the new year, and one grape is to be eaten for each bell chime. This definitely deserves some strategy and preparation. Some prefer to peel the skin off of each grape and take out the seeds before chowing down. Others chomp right through the skin and seed as they fill their cheeks like acorn-gathering squirrels.
Epiphany, also known as Día de los Reyes Magos
Kids in Spain receive presents on Christmas, much like in other Christmas celebrations around the world. Kids in Spain then receive more presents when the three kings arrive a couple weeks later. We saw the three kings arrive on the eve of January 6th in true Mediterranean fashion--ON A BOAT--and proceed to parade down the streets, collecting the letters from all the boys and girls who had written to them, detailing the gifts they hoped to receive. After gathering stacks upon stacks of letters, the kings mounted their camels and paraded out.
With Caga Tío, grapes, and kings, the Spaniards sure diversified our holiday celebrations this year. We spent the holiday season in Lloret de Mar, up the coast from Barcelona. Check out our seaside photos here. After wrapping up all the excitement, we headed back to Barcelona to check out some sights that we didn't get to the first time around. Check out our photos from Barcelona here.
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