The Christmas season in Spain is long and full of traditions: it begins with the switching-on of city lights in late November and ends on 6 January with Three Kings' Day.
The Immaculate Conception and preparations
8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a public holiday and officially opens the festive season. In Seville cathedral the seises, a group of boys, perform an ancient dance before the altar. Christmas markets appear in the squares, and nativity scenes, called belenes, are set up in homes and churches. The Christmas lights of Madrid, Vigo, Barcelona and Málaga have become a tourist attraction.
El Gordo
On 22 December the Christmas Lottery is drawn, created in 1812 and one of the richest in the world. The draw, broadcast live for hours, is carried out by the children of the San Ildefonso school in Madrid, who sing out the numbers and prizes. The first prize is called El Gordo, "the fat one". Because tickets are often bought in groups, among colleagues, friends or at the local bar, sometimes a whole village wins together. The lottery's TV advert is a small event each year.
Nochebuena and Navidad
On the evening of 24 December, Nochebuena, families gather for the most important dinner of the year: seafood, roast lamb or suckling pig, stuffed capon or turkey, depending on the region, then turrón, polvorones and marzipan (see Christmas food). People sing villancicos, carols, with tambourines and the zambomba friction drum, and at midnight many go to the Misa del Gallo. On 25 December there is another family lunch: in Catalonia the tradition is escudella i carn d'olla, a broth with meat and large shell-shaped galets pasta.
Holy Innocents and Nochevieja
28 December, Holy Innocents' Day, is the Spanish April Fools' Day: people play pranks (inocentadas) and newspapers print fake stories. On 31 December, Nochevieja, thousands gather in Madrid's Puerta del Sol and millions watch the chimes of its clock on television: on each chime you eat a grape, for luck in each of the twelve months. The custom of the twelve grapes spread in the early twentieth century. People toast with cava and, late at night, eat churros with chocolate.
The Three Kings
The moment children await most is Epiphany. On the evening of 5 January every city holds its cabalgata de Reyes, with the floats of the Magi Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar throwing sweets to the crowd; children leave their shoes by the window and some food for the camels. On the morning of 6 January they find their presents, or sugar coal if they have been naughty. People eat roscón de Reyes, a ring cake decorated with candied fruit hiding a figurine and a bean: whoever finds the bean pays for the cake next year. Father Christmas, Papá Noel, has arrived in recent decades, and many families give presents on both the 25th and the 6th.
Regional traditions
In Catalonia children "feed" the caga tió for weeks, a log with a smiling face and a blanket, and on Christmas Eve they hit it with sticks, singing so that it will "poop" sweets and small gifts. Catalan nativity scenes also include the caganer, a crouching shepherd relieving himself. In the Basque Country and Navarre presents are brought by Olentzero, a mountain charcoal-burner, while Galicia has the Apalpador. See also Spanish festivals.