This will be my second Christmas in Spain, but my first celebrating it with a Spanish boyfriend and some of his non-English-speaking family. If I wanted to learn Spanish through unique cultural experiences, boy was this the opportunity! Coming from Canada by way of the United States, I’m used to a particular type of celebration.
There certainly is a lot of overlap, but here are the differences I’ve noticed between Christmas in Spain and Christmas in the U.S./Canada—the traditions, the timeline, the food and some key words and phrases.
1) The timeline: Spain’s Christmas lasts longer
- Spain: Christmas doesn’t end on Dec 25; the season stretches to Jan 6 (Día de Reyes) which is the major finale.
- U.S.: The season peaks on Dec 25, then winds down quickly (until New Year’s Eve/Day).
- Canada: The Christmas spirit keeps going a day longer with Boxing Day on Dec 26.
2) The main day: Dec 24 vs. Dec 25 (and sometimes Jan 6)
- Spain: Nochebuena (Dec 24) is often the big family meal. Gifts are usually opened on Reyes (Jan 6) or on Dec 25, depending on the family.
- U.S./Canada: Christmas Eve is an important build-up with stockings hung in anticipation of Santa Claus’ visit, but Dec 25 is the centerpiece—gifts are opened and the big family dinner is enjoyed.
3) Gift-giving: Santa isn’t the only star
- Spain: Many kids grow up with Los Reyes Magos (The Three Kings or, as we call them in North America, The Three Wise Men) bringing gifts on Jan 6, although these days more families also do Papá Noel on Dec 25. On the night of Jan 5, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar travel through Spain—traditionally on camels—and leave gifts for children. Kids often set out their shoes (and sometimes snacks for the Kings and water/food for the camels), and the naughty kids receive carbón (“coal”), which is often sweet coal candy.
- U.S./Canada: Santa Claus is the central character who delivers presents during the night of Dec 24 by riding through the air on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Kids leave cookies and milk for Santa (and sometimes carrots for the deer), who comes down the chimney to leave gifts in the stockings hung on the fireplace.
4) Christmas dinner & traditional sweets
Typical Christmas dinner foods in Spain
- Starters: Cold appetizers (cured meats, cheeses, olives, pâtés)
- First course: Soup or broth (often regional)
- Main course: Seafood—besugo (sea bream) or bacalao (cod)—or a festive roast—cordero (roast lamb), cochinillo (roast suckling pig)
- Drinks: Wine with dinner and cava (sparkling wine) for toasts
- Dessert: turrón, polvorones/mantecados, mazapán
- Around Jan 6: Roscón de Reyes (often with a hidden figurine/bean tradition)
Typical Christmas dinner foods in the U.S./Canada
- Main course: Roast turkey or ham
- Sides: Stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, simple veggies like green beans
- Drinks: Eggnog (before or after dinner, and throughout the season), wine with dinner and champagne for toasts
- Dessert: Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, gingerbread cookies
Canada specifics
- Butter tarts, mincemeat tarts, Nanaimo bars, shortbread
- In Québec, traditions like tourtière and réveillon for some families
5) Christmas songs
Spain villancicos
- Los peces en el río
- Campana sobre campana
- El tamborilero (Spanish version of “The Little Drummer Boy”)
- Arre borriquito
- Hacia Belén va una burra (Rin, rin)
- Ay del Chiquirritín
- Dime Niño
U.S./Canada Christmas carols
Traditional:
- Silent Night
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Joy to the World
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- The First Noel
- Deck the Halls
Kid/family staples:
- Jingle Bells
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
Radio/pop standards:
- White Christmas
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
- Last Christmas (Wham!)
6) Public traditions: Spain feels more “out in the streets”
- Spain: There are major shared, public traditions—especially the Cabalgata de Reyes (Jan 5) parade, where kids line the streets and candy is tossed. Nativity scenes (belén/nacimiento) are also a big deal in many places, and Christmas markets pop up in a lot of plazas.
- U.S./Canada: The public side is more about Christmas lights (including on houses, and it’s common to drive around to see all the decorations), shopping and the “mall Santa” in which families bring their kids to meet Santa Claus in person, sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. But the core rituals tend to feel more home-centered.
7) “Extra days” you don’t expect
- Spain: Dec 28 is Día de los Santos Inocentes, a prank day (like April Fools). It originates from the tragic story in the bible of King Herod ordering the slaughter of all boys two and under in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus, making them the “Holy Innocents.” After a prank, the joker often shouts “¡Inocente!” (Innocent!). Trust the Spaniards to find a way to transform a solemn historical day into a lighthearted day of shared laughter.
- Canada: Dec 26 is Boxing Day, originated in the 1700s as a day in which the wealthy gave a “Christmas box” of gifts like food (often their leftover Christmas dinner) to servants or tradespeople. These days it’s just an extra day off for most people.
- US/Canada: Ugly Christmas sweater – a festive (and ironic) tradition in which people gift others (and wear!) the ugliest Christmas-themed sweaters they can find.
8) New Year’s: grapes vs. a countdown
- Spain: 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve (las uvas)—one per chime—for luck.
- U.S./Canada: A countdown, champagne toast, and the classic “new year, new me” vibe.
Key Christmastime words & phrases
- Christmas tree — El árbol de Navidad
- Stocking — El calcetín / La bota
- Christmas lights — Las luces navideñas
- Snowman — Muñeco de nieve
- Christmas wreath — Corona de Navidad
- Decorations / ornaments — Adornos
- Tinsel — Espumillón
- Mistletoe — Muérdago
- Christmas Eve — Nochebuena
- Christmas carols — Villancicos
- Nativity scene — Belén / Nacimiento
- Epiphany — Día de Reyes
- The Three Kings / The Three Wise Men — Los Reyes Magos
- Santa Claus — Papá Noel
- Christmas dinner — La cena de Navidad
- Dec 24 Christmas dinner — La cena de Nochebuena
- Christmas Day lunch — La comida de Navidad
- Christmas card — Tarjeta de Navidad
- Present — Regalo
- Christmas spirit — El espíritu navideño
- Sleigh — El trineo
- Bells — Las cascabeles
- Reindeer — Los renos
- Advent calendar — El calendario de adviento
- New Year’s Eve — Nochevieja
- The (12) grapes — Las uvas
These have no meaning in Spain, but are very common in North America:
- Eggnog (Ponche de huevo)
- Ugly Christmas sweater (Suéter navideño feo)
- Boxing Day (El Boxing Day—el día después de Navidad—solo en Canada y El Reino Unido)
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