https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed After a Three Kings Day parade in Seville featured Andalusia's regional president in blackface playing King Balthazar, the debate over the outdated and racist practice has again been reignited in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20240105/blackface-lives-on-during-epiphany-in-spain-despite-growing-outrage Fri, 05 Jan 2024 14:01:00 +0100 blackface-lives-on-during-epiphany-in-spain-despite-growing-outrage You probably know about 'El Gordo' (The Fat One) - Spain's famous Christmas lottery - but there's another festive draw called 'El Niño' where the chances of winning are higher. https://www.thelocal.es/20240103/el-nino-what-to-know-about-spains-other-big-christmas-lottery Wed, 03 Jan 2024 17:07:44 +0100 el-nino-what-to-know-about-spains-other-big-christmas-lottery Every culture has a particular food associated with Christmas and in Spain there is nothing more typically festive than the Roscón de Reyes, the 'Cake of Kings'. Here's what you need to know about this tradition and its fascinating origins. https://www.thelocal.es/20201216/what-you-need-to-know-about-spains-festive-roscon-de-reyes-cake Wed, 16 Dec 2020 11:00:29 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-spains-festive-roscon-de-reyes-cake Christmas is not over in Spain yet. Even though Christmas Day is celebrated across the country, Spaniards still tend to go 'all in' on January 6th with the arrival of 'los Reyes' (the Three Wise Men). Sorry Santa! https://www.thelocal.es/20200105/why-spain-loves-the-three-kings-more-than-santa Sun, 05 Jan 2020 22:17:54 +0100 why-spain-loves-the-three-kings-more-than-santa April 1st has no special meaning in Spain, instead December 28th is the day of practical jokes among Spaniards. But the celebration's macabre origins are far from a laughing matter. https://www.thelocal.es/20201228/why-spain-turned-a-child-massacre-into-its-april-fools-day Mon, 28 Dec 2020 09:12:53 +0100 why-spain-turned-a-child-massacre-into-its-april-fools-day In the Netherlands there's no cheery old man from the North Pole with his flying reindeer, there's Sinterklaas from Spain who rides a white horse called Amerigo. https://www.thelocal.es/20221223/why-santa-claus-lives-in-spain-according-to-the-dutch Fri, 23 Dec 2022 11:41:56 +0100 why-santa-claus-lives-in-spain-according-to-the-dutch Feliz Navidad (Happy Christmas) to all our readers! If you're spending Christmas in Spain, here are 12 traditions foreigners tend to find both brilliant and bizarre. https://www.thelocal.es/20191221/ten-weird-and-wonderful-christmas-traditions-celebrated-across-spain Sat, 21 Dec 2019 12:41:25 +0100 ten-weird-and-wonderful-christmas-traditions-celebrated-across-spain If you're going to be spending Christmas in Spain, you may want to brush up on this essential 'Navidad' vocab to show off your festive language skills. https://www.thelocal.es/20201215/the-essential-a-to-z-of-spanish-christmas-vocabulary Tue, 15 Dec 2020 18:07:30 +0100 the-essential-a-to-z-of-spanish-christmas-vocabulary Christmas is a time for family gatherings and feasting in Spain, but not everything will shut down complete over the festive period. https://www.thelocal.es/20241223/whats-open-and-whats-closed-over-christmas-in-spain Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:16:33 +0100 whats-open-and-whats-closed-over-christmas-in-spain Nougat fudge and seafood aren’t the only foodstuffs Spanish people eat during the Christmas period. Here’s what Spaniards are wolfing down the most during the festive season according to official data. https://www.thelocal.es/20191218/turrn-or-tangerines-what-spaniards-really-eat-and-drink-during-christmas Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:23:23 +0100 turrn-or-tangerines-what-spaniards-really-eat-and-drink-during-christmas On Christmas Eve in some parts of Spain, it's not Santa that children are waiting for, but this little guy who delivers presents in a rather unconventional manner. https://www.thelocal.es/20191204/navidad-meet-ti-de-nadal-a-log-that-poops-presents-at-christmas-in-spain Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:00:45 +0100 navidad-meet-ti-de-nadal-a-log-that-poops-presents-at-christmas-in-spain If there's one music that will be playing in all Spanish households this Christmas it's 'villancicos'. Discover all about some of Spain's most-loved Christmas carols and how they came to be. https://www.thelocal.es/20251224/villancicos-the-origin-of-spanish-christmas-carols Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:37:35 +0100 villancicos-the-origin-of-spanish-christmas-carols Both dates fall during the week this year so many will be looking to clock off early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve to be with their loved ones. https://www.thelocal.es/20231218/can-i-leave-work-early-on-christmas-eve-and-new-years-eve-in-spain Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:27:34 +0100 can-i-leave-work-early-on-christmas-eve-and-new-years-eve-in-spain Take a stroll through any Spanish supermarket during the festive season, and you'll surely spot the turrón aisle. Spaniards love it, and it's everywhere at this time of year. But what is turrón, exactly? And why is it so popular at Christmas? https://www.thelocal.es/20211224/turron-ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-spains-sweet-christmas-treat Fri, 24 Dec 2021 09:54:53 +0100 turron-ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-spains-sweet-christmas-treat Move over Santa because there's a pipe-smoking, beret wearing, more rugged version of you living in northern Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20191216/navidad-meet-the-basque-version-of-santa-claus Mon, 16 Dec 2019 10:32:22 +0100 navidad-meet-the-basque-version-of-santa-claus Every year at Christmas, Spaniards go lottery mad, queuing for hours to buy tickets for the famous "El Gordo" - The Fat One - and this year is no exception. https://www.thelocal.es/20191218/el-gordo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-spains-christmas-lottery Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:40:09 +0100 el-gordo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-spains-christmas-lottery If you're travelling to the UK from Spain this Christmas you might be thinking of bringing gifts of Spain's delicious cheeses and cured meats - but a change in British import rules is still in effect. https://www.thelocal.es/20251222/can-you-bring-spanish-meat-or-cheese-into-the-uk-this-christmas Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:03:52 +0100 can-you-bring-spanish-meat-or-cheese-into-the-uk-this-christmas You may have noticed that children are tasked with singing the longwinded Christmas lottery numbers on live TV in Spain. How did this tradition come about? https://www.thelocal.es/20221222/why-do-children-sing-spains-christmas-lottery-numbers Thu, 22 Dec 2022 13:48:02 +0100 why-do-children-sing-spains-christmas-lottery-numbers It’s one of the biggest days in Spain, and the vast majority of Spaniards take part hoping for a big win that will change their lives. But is there actually a hidden formula to winning 'El Gordo'? https://www.thelocal.es/20211217/is-there-a-science-to-winning-spains-el-gordo-christmas-lottery Fri, 17 Dec 2021 13:41:23 +0100 is-there-a-science-to-winning-spains-el-gordo-christmas-lottery Christmas is just around the corner, so if you haven’t got your tree yet and you want to buy a real one rather than a plastic one, here's where you can find them in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20251217/where-to-get-a-real-christmas-tree-in-spain Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:14:32 +0100 where-to-get-a-real-christmas-tree-in-spain