CHRISTMAS IN YOUR NEW COUNTRY: THE 3 WISE MEN - LOS REYES MAGOS

One thing that we find funny we lived in UK was that the Christmas tree was up in some places in August, and you were bombarded with Christmas stuff for months and months. However, come 26th December Christmas is suddenly over, without prior warning: no decoration, no lights, no more Christmas spirit. 

As explained before, Christmas in Spain ends on 6th of January, the 12th day of Christmas.

You need to remember that Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of Jesus, the son of God in the Christian religion, and as such we also celebrate the day when the 3 wise men visited Jesus on his crib and brought him presents: gold, incense and myrth.

These guys came from far, far away, and arrived at Bethlehem to see Jesus by following a bright start in the sky.

We call them Los Reyes Magos de Oriente (the Magic Kings of Orient), and their names are Melchor, which has a white beard, Gaspar, which has a brown beard, and Baltasar, which is the black one, and can have (or not) a beard.

Same as with Santa in UK, there are grottos where children can speak with the 3 Kings and give them their letters. Spanish favourite King is Baltasar. I base this statement in years and years of going to grottos and seeing than the queue for Baltasar is double as Melchor and triple's Gaspar. So I have made my mission that my children's favourite one is Gaspar, as it means less time waiting in the cold!

Every 5th January evening the Kings go on a parade in your town. Because they are magical, they can be in your town, your cousin's town, your friends' town and also in Madrid on TV at the same time (kids are soooo gullible!).

In this said parade there are plenty of floats with different cartoon characters as well as 3 big floats for the 3 wise men. Each one of the floats and the people walking within the parade give away sweets, so all children bring a big bag which will end up full to the brim with sweets.

But when I say they give away sweets I should specify that they throw them away. With force. Aiming at your head. It is a good idea to bring a helmet ...

At night time kids have to go early to bed, same as with Santa, and they need to prepare some food for the Reyes and also for the camels. 

But the most important thing that cant forget to do, is to leave a very clean shoe in the living room, as the 3 Kings will know where to leave the presents for each member of the family depending on the shoe. NO SHOE MEANS NO PRESENTS!

And they have been known to leave charcoal on naughty children's shoes, so it is imperative that you behave your best! (dont worry, it is edible)

Have fun and enjoy the day!

CHRISTMAS IN YOUR NEW COUNTRY: NEW YEAR'S EVE AND THE 12 GRAPES

As I have already explained to you in other posts, we have some curious Christmas traditions that you can not find in other countries. I think the New Year's Eve one is the most different, funny and important one.

Whilst the majority of countries do a count down from 10 at 12 am in New Year's Eve to celebrate the New Year, we eat 12 grapes.

There are several hipothesis of where this tradition is coming from. Some say that the upper classes used to eat grapes and drink Champaign at the New Year's Eve dinner and that the common people were taking the piss of them and started to imitate them.

Other say, and this is my favourite theory and the one I choose to believe more, is that in the late 1800's or beginning of 1900's there was an excess of grape harvest during the festive period. In order to sell all the harvest and do not let it rot, the farmers decided to say it was good luck to eat 12 grapes with each dong of the clock on New Year's Eve. This quickly catch up, and well over 100 years later you have 46 million people eaten grapes at the same time.

You also need to bear in mind that Spain is a very family orientated country, and we celebrate all "big important" dates with the family. This includes New Year's Eve. Familes gather together (extended family I mean, grandpas cousins, uncles, siblings ...) either at someone's place or in a restaurant (don't worry, all restaurants in Spain will give you grapes with your dinner that day).

This means that for us the party does not start until the grapes are finish, and this can easily be 1 or 2 am, the time when the Brits will come back home, for example.

After dinner, and when 12 am is getting close, we all gather in front of the TV, but before you have to wee for the last time this year, or call your friend for the last time this year, or eat your last dessert of the year etc etc. 

A vast majority of Spanish chooses the first channel of the national TV to see the "Grapes" (La 1), where the female presenter Anne Igartiburu is a tradition by herself, as she has been presenting the "Grapes" for at least 15 years. 

In family we have the tradition of trying to guess which TV ad will be the last of the year as it is the most expensive one of the year, and not to name any names, but Coca Cola is a very economicaly healthy company.

Normally any clock with give the time with a "dong", but it would be impossible to eat 12 grapes with only 12 dongs at normal speed, so for that day the Reloj de la Puerta del Sol de Madrid (the clock at the main square in Madrid, which is the one shown on TV) slows down the pace of the dongs, so it is more like "dooooooooooooong". So it takes about 30 seconds for the 12 dongs.

Picture from: https://www.elimparcial.es/noticia/185203/sociedad/espana-entra-en-2018-con-la-esperanza-de-que-sea-mejor-que-2017.html

Some people buy seedless grapes to make the process easier, and others peel them, but I like them as they are.

So, imagine this, the whole family sitting in front of the TV, with your little plate with 12 grapes, nerves raising, giggles all around. Then the clock start making noises and little ding dongs that tells you that the whole thing is about to start.

And then the 12 dongs start: dooooooooong (1 grape), doooooooooooong (another grape), doooooooooong (you get it now).

12 dongs later you have your mouth full of grapes that you have not had time to swallow, so you start kissing people and saying "Happy New Year" while you spit grapes and/or try not to choke. And then we open the Champaign bottles, or Sidra (Spanish cider)

Here you have a link to a youtube video that shows you the exact moment, and that could be any Spanish household:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiCjv50C6LA

I think you should try it, you need to experience it at least once, it is a lot of fun!

CHRISTMAS IN YOUR NEW COUNTRY: CHRISTMAS NATIONAL LOTTERY

As explained in a previous post, you are going to find some big differences with the way that we celebrate Chritsmas in Spain compared to your home country. One of the most relevant ones is the importance of our National Christmas Lottery.

For us Christmas starts officially on 22nd of December, as it is the day that we have the special Christmas lottery draw. Even the people that never play lottery (like me) we have at least one ticket for the Christmas one.

The maximum prize that you can win is 4 million euros, but you need to bear in mind that each number is divided in 10 participations, or tickets, which means that if you only have one you can only win 400.000€ (which is not bad anyway)

You can choose any number from 00000 to 99999.

The whole thing is like huge bingo. Each potential winning number is engraved in a little bingo like ball, and a few days before the draw all the balls with all the numbers are exposed so anybody can go and check physically if their number is actually there.

The potential prizes are engraved in the same type of balls, and we have one main prize or Gordo (the Fat one) for 4 million Euros, the second one is 1.250.000€, one 3rd prize for 500.000€, two 4th prizes for 200.000€ each, eight 5th prizes for 60.000€ each, and then the "pedrea": thousands of small prizes for 1000€ each. A total of 2.240 million euros in prizes this year (2018).

Both the balls with the numbers and the balls with the prizes are put in giant bingo like balls containers.

The day before the lottery people from all over the country will spend the night in the street at the entrance of the theater where the draw will take place in Madrid. 

The actual draw starts around 9 am. The children from the San Ildenfonso School (school for orfans) are in charge to spread the lottery love. You have 2 children releasing the balls (number and prize) and 2 children singing the prize and the number. All the numbers and prize balls are put in wires that are in special boxes, and the draw doesn't finish until all those wires are full. This takes over 4 hours.

The singing children start by saying the number and the other one the prize, so it is like 74658 and the other one says "miiiiiiiil€", and they put the balls in the wires.

But all of the sudden the kid that is singing the prices put his/her hand on top the wire so the other one cannot put the prize ball in its place. This is the moment when everybody watching tv knows that one of the big prizes is coming. You can see and hear the change of the energy at the theater, this could be the moment of the BIG one! 

Then they kids sing first the number and the the prize ... and it is "only" a forth prize. But still, if you have a ticket for a 4th prize it means you have just won 20.000€, not bad at all!

Here you have a video of how it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw07xa9wvSU

Once the prizes start to "rain" the live connexions with the places where the people has won the lottery start. Everybody is happy! 

Of course the best part is when the Gordo come out, but you don't want it to be too early as it takes a bit of the emotion out.

This lottery always reaches a lot of people, as everybody has a ticket, or is sharing one. It is simply impossible to know your friends or relatives have a number and not get one yourself. Imagine they win and you missed out!

So you have all the adults in the country playing lottery that day, rich or poor. 

And because you win, but not enough to become rich unless you have 10 tickets of the same number, everybody uses the lottery to pay off debts.

This day is also known unofficially as national health day, as if you end up not winning anything, we always say, "It doesn't matter, as least we have health!"

Do you have your ticket already?

CHRISTMAS IN YOUR NEW COUNTRY: SUMMARY

We all know how Christmas is in UK, it sometimes feels like a marathon: shopping, Christmas dinners, Christmas drinks, lights, buzzing time of the year.

And some places even put the Christmas tree up in August so people start booking their events! By September/October the decorations start to go up, and definitely the day after Halloween is Christmas all of the sudden. I remember once in the office a lady asked me if I had started with my Christmas shopping, as it was only 87 days left...

And just as suddenly, you have not even finished eating your turkey on Christmas day, and it is all gone. On 26th of December you cannot see a single decoration anywhere.

Well, to say this in a just a few words, we think you guys are nuts! And you are in for a bit of a shock when you see how we do things in Spain.

For starters, the decorations go up after 8th of December, which is the last long bank holiday of the year before Christmas. You might see some shops putting some decorations at the end of November or beginning of December, but this raises people's eyebrows as we think they are just trying to make money.

Christmas lights in big cities normally go up last weekend of November or first one of December. As part of the Christmas decorations we recreate Bethlehem with Joseph, Virgin Mary, baby Jesus, the sheperds, and all the animals, put up a Christmas tree, and figures of Santa and the 3 Wise Men get all in the mix.

But Christmas start officially on 22nd of December, with the National Christmas lottery, which is a tradition that deserves a post on its own merits, and it lasts until 6th of January when the 3 Wise Men bring presents to the children.

The whole Christmas period is a family event. We all travel to a relative's house, where about 20 people spend a few days together.

We have a big family dinner on Christmas Eve, and a big family lunch on Christmas day. Some families have started now to give some present away on 25th, mainly if they are not going to see the kids on Reyes (6th January)

We do not celebrate Boxing Day, it doesn't exist in Spain.

On New Year's Eve we have another family dinner, and at 12 am at night we all eat 12 grapes (again, this deserves its own post). Once we have all kissed and hug our relatives is when we go out, which is normally about 1-2 am.

On New Year's Day we have yet another big family lunch, and it doesn't matter if you only want to sleep or to throw up, the lunch is still on.

We then arrive to 5th of January, the day before the 3 Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos) bring the presents. That day each little town and big city in the country welcomes the 3 Wise Men, and they can be everywhere at once because they are magical, of course. That evening there is a big parade in each town/city, where tones of sweets are thrown (literally at your face), and get all children totally excited about the following day.

On the morning on the 6th the kids get up to find the living room full of presents, and they get the rest of the day to enjoy them and to show them to their friends. The parks are full of proud children with new toys.

Life goes back to normal on 7th January. By then you are exhausted, full up, and needing holidays again!

Enjoy your Spanish Christmas!

1st NOVEMBER: DÍA DE TODOS LOS SANTOS, ALL SAINTS DAY

This week it seems that all kids around are getting ready to celebrate Halloween, you can even find parties for adults in certain bars.

We, Spanish, believe that any excuse is good for a party, so we are happy to adopt other cultures' traditions if they involve some fun. This is why we go along and are buying fancy dresses and loads of sweets. At present the "trick or treat" exchange has not yet fully become a tradition here, but it might happen in the future.

But in Spain what we really celebrate is the 1st of November, a national holiday called "Dia de todos los Santos", all saints day. We use this day to remember our loved ones by going to the cementery to pray and to bring flowers to our relatives and friends that have passed away. Flower shops' make a year earnings in one day.

We do not do it as the Mexicans' which will nearly have a party at the cementery, and we do not paint our faces, or we believe the world of the death is closer to the world of the living on this particular day. We just simply remember them and the majority of people will also attend mass, all a lot more serious than in other cultures.

It is quite clear that all those believes, however we would like to celebrate them, have a common ground: celebrate death once a year, instead of life. Bearing in mind a lot different cultures do the same on the same day (or night) makes me think there was some kind of pagan tradition than the different religions adapted for themselves, and nowadays people is adapting to our times, in a more fun way.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate the next bank holiday, I hope you have a good one!

RENTING A CAR ABROAD AND THE POINTS SYSTEM

Have you ever tried to rent a car abroad? First time we tried to rent a car in UK we were asked how many points we had in our driving licence. Very proudly we answered that we had all 15 points. Therefore our request was declined. We could not understand why!

In EU we follow the points system, so surely we should be entitled to rent it! But of course each country can develop the rules on the way they see fit. So in Spain you start your driver's life when you get the licence with 12 points, and if you are a very good driver, they give you extra points up to 15. When you commit a driving licence offense the points get removed from your licence.

However, in the UK you start off with zero points, and the points are added to your licence in case of driving offense. So having 15 points in UK means that you are a very very bad driver, but having 15 points in Spain means you are an excellent driver.

Living in another country can be very confusing when you are not aware of this this one. Always do a good research of your country of choosing before you make some costly mistakes!

#relocationagent #movingtospain #livingthelife #happyliving

THE IMPORTANCE OF REGISTERING WITH THE PADRÓN

When you move to Spain, one of the first things that you are recommended to do paperwork wise is to register with the Padrón at your town hall. A lot of people can't be bothered, as you can get by without doing it. You have to register, but no one is going to start knocking on your door to see if you have done it or not.

But then something happens, like the fires that we experience every summer in the area where I lived. And people start complaining that there are not enough firefighters within the town to help with fire extinction, and that houses have been lost, etc. 

The answer is very simple: each town is equipped with the resources that they need based on the number of people registered as living there. If you live in a town/city and do not registered with the padrón as a citizen of that town/city they don't count you, which means the provision for firefighters, doctors, ambulances, local police, funding for the town hall, etc, will based on the actual number of citizens registered. 

In other words, if a town has only 5.000 people registered as living there but in reality there is 10.000, they will only have resources for 5.000, which means they won't be able to cover all needs for all citizens.

Picture from: https://zamoranews.com/provinciazamora/comarcas/item/1089-nuevo-camion-autobomba-paque-bomberos-bermillo

If you dont do your part and register with your padrón then you shouldnt complain about the lack of services. It is totally down to you. 

So PLEASE!, register with your local town/city hall padrón office to prevent disasters like this summer's fires.