Christmas in Spain: Key Dates, Traditions and Expressions

When the lights go up in the streets, Christmas is on its way in Spain. Spanish Christmas is full of traditions, from the lottery draw to the arrival of the Three Kings, and it lasts longer than in many countries. Here are the key dates, what happens on each one, and the Christmas expressions Spaniards use all year round.

22 December: the Christmas lottery

Christmas in Spain starts with the Lotería de Navidad draw on 22 December, known as “El Gordo” (the fat one). Almost everyone buys at least one ticket, and many share tickets with their neighbours, colleagues and family. When luck smiles on you, Spaniards say “te ha tocado” (you’ve won): discover more uses of the verb in our guide to tocar.

24 December: Nochebuena

On Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, Spanish families get together for a special dinner, one of the most important celebrations of the year. Expect a feast, from seafood to turrón (a type of nougat), and probably an extra kilo or two.

25 December: Christmas Day

Families meet again for a big Christmas lunch. Some children get presents from Papá Noel (Santa Claus), although that’s not the main tradition. In parts of eastern Spain, the celebrations carry on with another family meal on 26 December, San Esteban (St Stephen’s Day).

28 December: Día de los Inocentes

While many countries play pranks on 1 April, Spain does it on 28 December, the Día de los Inocentes. Be careful what you believe in the news that day.

31 December: Nochevieja

New Year’s Eve, or Nochevieja, is one of the most festive nights of the year. It usually starts with drinks and a big dinner, and the sportier join the San Silvestre races held in many cities. At midnight, Spaniards eat twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock, for good luck in the new year.

1 January: Año Nuevo

New Year’s Day is the quietest day of the holidays: a day to rest, with empty streets and many shops closed. Some call it the national siesta day.

5 and 6 January: the Three Kings

In Spain, the main gift-givers aren’t Santa Claus but Los Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, who bring presents to children on the night of 5 January. That evening they parade through the streets in the Cabalgata de Reyes. On 6 January, families share the roscón de Reyes, a sweet ring-shaped bread decorated with candied fruit, marking the end of Christmas.

Christmas expressions in Spanish

Some of these are used all year, often in very un-Christmassy situations:

• Traer carbón: naughty children get coal from the Three Kings, so this is a joking way to tell someone they’re behaving badly. Espero que este finde limpies la casa o los Reyes te traerán carbón. (I hope you clean the house this weekend, or the Three Kings will bring you coal.)
• Dar las uvas: taking so long to do something that you’ll still be at it when the New Year’s grapes arrive. Si tardas tanto en prepararte, nos van a dar las uvas. (If you take this long to get ready, we’ll still be here at New Year.)
• Ser un inocente: after the Día de los Inocentes, someone who is “un inocente” is very naive. Carlos se cree todo lo que le dicen. Es un inocente. (Carlos believes everything he’s told. He’s so gullible.)
• Armarse un Belén: a chaotic, noisy situation, like Bethlehem when Mary and Joseph arrived and the town was packed. Desde que han puesto las luces en el centro, se ha armado un Belén. (Since they put the lights up in the centre, it’s been chaos.)
• Liarse la Marimorena: the same meaning, named after a popular Christmas carol.

For the other big celebrations of the year, see our spooky Spanish expressions for Halloween, and for food expressions to use at the Christmas table, read our Spanish food expressions.

Celebrate Christmas in Spanish

Christmas in Spain is a time of joy, tradition and family. If you want to experience it with a Spanish touch, come and learn with us: have a look at our Spanish courses in Madrid. ¡Feliz Navidad!