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Celebrate Christmas in Southern Europe
In Spain, Italy or Portugal, Christmas traditions are very much alive. They are quite different from French Christmas celebrations. And like everywhere, they put children in the spotlight, with gifts and sweets galore!
Italy: 3 days of celebration for Christmas!
Italians are known for their sense of celebration, and the proof: Christmas lasts 3 days, from December 24 to 26! But they have to wait until January 6 to receive their gifts! In the land of “mammas”, she is an old lady with white hair, the witch Befana, who distributes the toys to children.
The culinary specialty of Christmas is a dessert called the Panneton. A kind of delicious big brioche with raisins, candied fruit or chocolate.
Spain: make way for the Three Kings!
In Spain, Christmas is above all a religious celebration where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is no commercial exploitation here, so no Santa Claus. But the children will have to wait a bit to receive their gifts: it is the Three Kings, Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar, who will bring them on January 6. There will then be a large parade of floats, to which many parents and children come to attend: it is the Cavalcade of the Three Kings.
For the Christmas meal, we prepare almond soup. And for dessert, the famous Turon, a mixture of caramel and almonds and marzipan (marzipan).
In some villages, we prepare living nativity scenes. During the visit, everyone must leave food, a blanket… for the poor.
Portugal: we burn the Christmas log
Many Portuguese attend midnight mass. Then, each family burns the Christmas log (not the dessert, a real log!) In the fireplace.
Same thing in cemeteries, because old beliefs say that the souls of the dead prowl on Christmas night.
And when the festive meal is over, the table remains set for the deceased !