Celebrating Christmas in Barcelona

I’m dreaming of a white….. Not in Barcelona you’re not. If a white christmas is what you’re after, then you are better off going somewhere less, well, Mediterranean.

However, lack of snow aside, Barcelona is actually a fantastic city for the christmas celebrations.

The climate in December

During December the climate in Barcelona is cold enough to warrant hats, scarves and gloves. Many terraces have heaters so that you can stay warm while enjoying a hot chocolate or festive wine as you are watching the world go by. The climate is also warm enough to enjoy being outdoors.

Barcelona, like many Spanish cities, is a superb location for strolling – and come christmas day, that’s exactly what you will find many people doing. Unlike the UK and other cities where the whole world seems to close down, Barcelona is very much awake on the 25^th of December, and so it is normal for people to take a walk through the city, meet for coffee or lunch and generally socialize.

Related article: El Caganer: an unusual Catalan tradition

What to expect from the Catalan capital ?

The Catalan capital offers much more christmas romance than you would expect. Yes, it’s quite possible that your christmas will involve blue skies, but not far from the city you can find snow-capped mountains, if that’s what rocks your boat. Illuminations decorate the streets much like any other city and many christmas markets are set up to sell seasonal goods. There’s even some who are crazy enough to celebrate christmas by taking a dip in the harbour.

One festive character you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else in the world is ‘the Caganer’ which translates to ‘the shitter’. This bizarre figure can be found on sale throughout the country.

Related article: Bank holidays in Barcelona

There are also festive parades and beautiful christmas decorations, the best of which can be found at Placa de Sant Jaume, Las Ramblas and Portal de l’Angel. In fact, all the main streets in the city usually have beautiful light displays.

The main days in the Spanish festive calendar are New Year’s Eve and Kings’ Day (Día de los Reyes Magos – 5^th January) when the folks gather into massive parades through the city and sweets are thrown to children –it’s considered a way more important date than the 25^th of December.

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