This might be my bias speaking but
Madrid (aka the greatest city in the world) is a magical place, and
experiencing the Christmas spirit was the icing on the cake. Madrid is such a
bustling and vibrant city and the
madrileños are perfect
examples of the incredibly exuberant and refreshing Spanish culture and
lifestyle.
I already had a preconceived love for the city before moving there in fall 2014 due to my spring study abroad experience a couple years prior. Yet when November and December 2014 rolled around I was bewitched by the wonderful atmosphere of Christmas time in Madrid.
The first thing my roommate Brittany
and I would see when we left our apartment was the incandescent Christmas
lights that hover gracefully over the city streets. Each neighborhood was
illuminated by its own unique theme and style of lights, which together created
a harmonious atmosphere throughout the city.
I already had a preconceived love for the city before moving there in fall 2014 due to my spring study abroad experience a couple years prior. Yet when November and December 2014 rolled around I was bewitched by the wonderful atmosphere of Christmas time in Madrid.
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| Plaza de Callao |
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| Plaza Mayor |
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| Calle Preciados |
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| Christmas tree in Puerta del Sol |
There was also a Christmas market that
camouflaged Plaza Mayor. The plaza was lined with various vendors selling
clothing, jewelry, toys, and Christmas trinkets. In the center of the market
was a larger than life nativity scene.
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| Christmas market vendor |
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| Plaza Mayor |
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| Nativity Scene |
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| Christmas lottery tickets |
Nothing screams Christmas like a
lottery, right? Well you would be surprised. The Spanish Christmas Lottery El
Gordo “the fat one” is
extremely popular and Puerta del Sol was a huge hub for the vendors. The
Lottery distributes more than 2 billion euros to thousands of people every
year. What was interesting to learn was that the lottery tickets were actually
quite expensive so people would buy decimos, or tenths, of a ticket.Groups of
friends and coworkers would also go in on the purchase of one ticket. Some of
our coworkers at our school passed around sign-up sheets in order for faculty
to sign up to be a part of one of the groups.
Not
only did I love experiencing these traditions on my own, walking around the city, but thankfully
I was lucky enough to learn about some of the other traditions from my students
in Colmenar Viejo, a small city just outside of Madrid. The students decided to
bring Christmas treats to class and teach me about their Christmas traditions
while I told them about traditions in the US.
Since Spain is predominately Catholic, some of the Christian/Catholic traditions in the US coincided with them. It was interesting to learn about the unique traditions they have during these celebrations Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) or the Reyes Magos Parade (Three Wise Men) on January 6th. My favorite part was when the students sang Spanish Christmas Carols for me.
Since Spain is predominately Catholic, some of the Christian/Catholic traditions in the US coincided with them. It was interesting to learn about the unique traditions they have during these celebrations Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) or the Reyes Magos Parade (Three Wise Men) on January 6th. My favorite part was when the students sang Spanish Christmas Carols for me.
I am so thankful for the experiences I was able have and I think about them everyday. I have always loved Christmas and I am happy to be home with family but I would be lying if I said part of me wasn’t wishing I was back in the most beautiful city, during this enchanting time of year. So for now I will just end with this…
Feliz Navidad y Próspero
Año Nuevo!
By: Antoinette Longcrier, Graduate Assistant and honorary Madrileña
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