Guide to Barcelona

Christmas in Barcelona

רביעי, 02 נובמבר 2011 12:44

אתרים בברצלונה

Christmas is a very special time in Spain.It is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Because most of the people in Barcelona are Catholic, Christmas is always a special time for the Barcelona citizens. Barcelona really comes to life during the festive period, with colorful Christmas markets, fascinating local traditions, and best of all, a wonderful Christmas spirit.

But Christmas is not only an amazing time for locals but Barcelona is also for tourist a very nice time to visit this amazing city. During Christmas the The whole city is decorated with Christmas lights, Christmas objects and Nativity scenes. If you ever feel like doing something romantic for the one you love, you should take her to this incredible city during the Christmas season.

The Christmas lights in Barcelona are not to be missed. Everywhere there are bright Christmas lights which make the atmosphere in Barcelona very joyful. The lights by Plaza Catalunya are very discoverable, especially those put on by El Corte Ingles department store. The Ramblas and Portal de l’Angel are well known for their impressive festive lights as well.

The intricate Nativity scenes displayed around the city are not to be missed. The most visited and most famous Christmas scene is located in Placa san Jaume each year by Barcelona’s City Council. The unusual Caganer will be included in the scene as well. A small porcelain gnome like figure with his trousers down is hidden somewhere in the nativity scene. Children always enjoy looking for this little guy hidden among the more traditional items.

From the 2nd of December until the 23rd of December there is the Santa Llúcia Christmas Market Placa Nova. This is a traditional Christmas market with more than 300 stalls selling all kinds of Christmas decorations including decorations, gifts, mistletoe and Christmas trees.

Another traditional Christmas market is located by La Sagrada Familia church. There will be around 120 stalls at this market. 2 days during the Christmas period Santa Claus will collect letters from the children and hand out balloons and cookies.

Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve in Barcelona. The chiming of church bells summons families to the mass which is called La Misa Del Gallo, the Mass of the Rooster. This names derives from the belief that only time that a rooster crowed at midnight was on Christmas Eve when Jesus was born. The Midnight Mass is a charming service. The most memorable Christmas mass can be found 40 km northwest of Barcelona in la Basilica de Montserrat, the Benedictine monastery built on the steep cliffs of Montserrat mountain range. At this midnight mass you can hear the angelic voices of Europe's oldest boys' choir called L’Escolania de Montserrat.

The tradition in Spain is for the Three Kings to bring the presents and not Santa Claus. The Reyes Magos parade in Spain and Barcelona takes place on 5th January every year. This is the evening before Twelfth Night Epiphany which is 6th January, and it is on the 6th January that the children in Spain get the most presents. On the night of 5th December Spanish and Catalan children don’t put a stocking out by the chimney, but instead children put out their shoes for the Three Kings to fill.

If you would like to visit Barcelona during the Holiday season, make sure you check out our apartment selections.

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