Spanish and German Christmas Traditions

So, Christmas is less than a week away 😀 , and I’ll be taking a break from posting over the next few weeks. To wrap up my posts in 2011, here’s a quick one about some unique features of the Christmas period in Spain and Germany*. It would be awesome if you added your own country’s Christmas and New Year traditions in the comments (and/or those of your second language). Oh, and let me know if you’ve experienced any of the Christmas traditions/treats I mention, and what you thought of them.
Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year! See you back here in 2012.

Spain 

Polvorones – polvorones are delicious, crumbly, fat, round shortbread cookies, covered with powdered sugar and usually sold individually wrapped in wax paper. They have a light cinnamon or anise flavour.

Turrón – this is a bar of a nougat-type sweet mixed with nuts. Nowadays it’s common to find chocolate bars called turrón, but the real thing requires only nuts – usually almonds – and sugar or honey.

Chestnuts – as soon as the weather cools off and the days get shorter, the smell of roasting chestnuts can be found on almost any Spanish street corner. Chestnuts are roasted on a bed of sweet-smelling ashes and scooped into paper cones for hungry (or cold) passers-by.

Grapes – it’s a tradition in Spain to eat 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve, one for each chime of the clock at midnight. If you eat all 12 in time, it is supposed to bring you good luck in the coming year.

The Three Wise Men – in Spain, January 5^th and 6^th are a main focus of the Christmas season, and the Three Wise Men are the ones who bring gifts for children, rather than Santa Claus.

Belenes – a “belén”, or nativity scene, is a traditional feature of a Spanish Christmas. People display scenes in their homes, and there’s usually a public one (or several) on display in town centres.

Germany

Stollen – this is a cakey bread (bready cake??) filled with dried fruits and dusted with powdered sugar that is traditionally served at Christmastime.

Zimtsterne – small star-shaped, cinnamon-spiced cookies glazed with royal icing.

Lebkuchen – gingerbread, but quite different from North American or British gingerbread. These cookies are darker and contain more aromatic spices along with the ginger. They come in various shapes and sizes, often covered with a thin white sugar glaze, or sometimes with dark chocolate.

Little Red Riding Hood tree ornaments – I haven’t found out why, but it’s common in Germany to find little dolls with red hoods (who I take to be Little Red Riding Hood) as Christmas tree ornaments.

Christmas markets and Glühwein – outdoor Christmas markets abound in Germany (and Austria) in the weeks leading up to Christmas, with stalls selling handmade Christmas decorations and gifts, and food and drink. The main attraction is probably Glühwein, a hot mulled wine.

Christkind – as in Spain, Santa Claus plays a lesser role in Germany than in the English-speaking world (though ever-increasing in importance), and gifts are traditionally said to be brought by the Christkind, an angel-like figure representing Christ.

 

*Disclaimer: these are aspects of Christmas celebrations in Spain and Germany as I have experienced them; I may not have all the facts correct, and I may have missed out some major elements, or assumed a local tradition was more widespread. If so, I apologize, and please don’t hesitate to fill me in/correct me in the comments!