Festivities in Spain and Australia
During the holidays I celebrated my first Christmas and New Years in Spain and also my first time in winter. Many people forget but in Australia where I am from, right now it is summer and people are swimming at the beach enjoying thirty degree days in the sun. It was very strange for me for it to be winter and to be celebrating Christmas and New Year! My experience of Christmas and New Year was a fantastic one and I love the way the Spanish celebrate these festivities.
While many things were the same, Christmas is different to Christmas in Australia. In Spain for example, Christmas Eve is bigger than Christmas Day and people celebrate by having a big dinner with their family on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day here it is a bit more relaxed.
In Australia, most people don't celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is saved for all of the celebration! Australian children wake up on Christmas morning to see if Santa Claus has come and what gifts he has brought them.
In Australia we celebrate Christmas Day with a big family lunch or dinner. There is lots of seafood and salads and a big roast turkey or ham is served as the main.
The desserts at Christmas range from many things. Because it is summer inAustralia, many people prepare trifles (a layered dessert containg fruit, jelly, sponge cake, custard and cream) or pavlova (a dessert made from egg whites and sugar similar to meringues, served with whipped cream and fruit), or more traditionally following the Irish heritage in my family, we eat a christmas fruit pudding with custard. My Nanna makes it every year using a recipe passed down for generations and it is to die for. Common foods that we eat at christmas are Christmas cake (a rich fruit cake), fruit mince pies, ginger bread, shortbread, chocolate, chocolate truffles, candy canes and much more. My Nanna serving the Christmas pudding.
One thing which I am really upset about is the fact that there aren't polovorones, marzapan and turron in Australia! I don't know how I will cope next year...
We celebrate New Years Eve very similarly in Australia to Spain. It is a time to be spent with family and friends, celebrating the year that has passed and the year that will come. I love the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes for good luck! That is one thing we don't have in Australia.
I loved the day of the Three Wise Men (dia de los reyes magos). In Australia this day is not celebrated, but I love the way people in Spain celebrate by the Three Wise Men bringing gifts and spending time with your family.
Overall I believe Spain is a fantastic place to celebrate the festivities at the end of the year!
Caitlin Douglas
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