Supermarket shelves are filling with assortments of nougat, dried fruits and chocolate, glittering light displays are being erected as we speak on las Ramblas and the now cooler nights are filled with the beginnings of a festive charm. This can only mean one thing: Christmas is upon us. For those planning to spend the Christmas period in Barcelona, here’s a brief outline of the main events, traditions and practical information regarding a stay in the city over the festive period.
As a general rule shops will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most will be open until at least lunchtime on Christmas Eve but it certainly isn’t advisable to leave all of your shopping until then. Many restaurants will be open on Christmas Day but be prepared to book in advance and expect slightly higher prices that usual. All museums and attractions will certainly be closed on Christmas Day, but you’ll find that certain attractions such as Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia will be open for limited hours on the 26th December.
You won’t find the same abundance of wooden chalet Christmas markets as in Germany or the East of France, but Barcelona too has its own seasonal Christmas market ‘Santa Llúcia’ which takes place from the 1st of December onwards in Plaça de la Catedral. Fill your Christmas stockings with all sorts of tradition handicrafts, Christmas ornaments and look out for the infamous ‘caganer’ figurine that lives in the nativity scene. Most places have their quirky traditions and Catalonia is most certainly no exception. This incongruous figure is found defecating somewhere on the manger scene and is a very common feature of the nativity scene throughout Catalonia. See the 'lovely ' picture for further illustration...
Another slightly bizarre Catalan tradition is that of the ‘caga tío’, a wooden log which makes an appearance in home a few weeks before Christmas. Then, a few days before Christmas the ‘caga tío’ goes to fatten up (with presents) and mysteriously reappears on Christmas Eve when the children beat him with a stick until he ‘releases’ the presents…
So if you’re planning to stay in a Barcelona apartment over the Christmas period, there will be plenty to keep you amused, from the more normal to the frankly bizarre range of Catalan traditions. What’s more, Barcelona is such a popular destination for visitors at this time of the year that you shouldn’t encounter any problems finding restaurants or bars open in the evenings.
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