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Never a culture to shy away from a party, the Spanish are masters of the festive period. Why would you want to limit the festivity to a week when you can do it for a whole season? That, at least, seems to be the mantra of the Spanish.
Accordingly, the Christmas season starts very early in Spain’s cities and provinces – pretty much with the first breath of winter. Here, the Christmas season unofficially begins in November and this is best reflected in the food and seasonal markets.
The Spanish certainly love fine dining and, as Christmas draws close, the markets gather pace and profile. Going to a winter market in Spain is a beautiful treat for all the senses. Of course, wherever you go in Spain you will find a great food market during the festive period but the grandest festivals are held in the cities. Perhaps you can stay in one of Spain’s beautiful villas and take in a few of them.
Barcelona
The Christmas market in Barcelona is known as the ‘Feria de Santa Lucia’. It specialises in food but also sells all manner of knick-knacks and Christmas gift solutions. Because it is situated in Catalonia, Barcelona has a very distinct identity compared to the rest of Spain. Accordingly, it has its own sense of history and folklore. So, here you can also buy Christmas symbols that are unique to the area, such as a ‘cagatio’, a festive log with a face on it and a ‘caganer’, which is a traditional festive character in Barcelona. Arguably some of the best villas in Spain are also situated in and around Barcelona so this might be the perfect base for your Spanish market expedition.
Madrid
Madrid is the proud capital city of Spain and has a market that represents the size and diversity of the area. The locals really go to town around the festive period; it’s not only churches and museums that are adorned with nativity scenes but many households also subscribe to the idea of making the whole area look magical over Christmas. To further embellish the look, festive lights are put up in every street.
Madrid is a city of markets at most times of the year but by Christmas there are a myriad of stalls all over the city, offering everything you can imagine. The biggest of the markets in this area is the one at the ‘Playa Major’, which translates as Main Square. This 16th Century plaza is a year round hotspot enjoyed by locals and tourists alike with many eateries and places to relax – so one can only imagine how good the ambience becomes at Christmas when the market runs for two weeks from the middle of December. On show are some of the finest foods that Spain has to offer and sellers come from all over the country to ply their trade at the Madrid market. So you will not only get great food but also enjoy a genuine carnival atmosphere.
Seville
Seville is the capital city in the province of Andalucía and as such, doesn’t want to be outdone by its neighbours on the festive market scene. Because Andalucía has its own distinctive provincial traditions, the look and feel of the market here is different from both Barcelona and Madrid. Seville is seen as the cultural capital of southern Spain and thus has its own stylish way of celebrating.
The markets offer local food as well as art and crafts in abundance. The beauty of Spain is really in the variety so you will certainly feel a difference in the markets across these three provincial territories. Each has its own proud culture and this is reflected in different recipes, celebrations and Christmas routines. So, visiting all three would be well worth your while and leave you with a real taste of the rich culture of Spain.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
