Spain Festivities
The lighting, the festive nature of the dates, the waiting for gifts and a feeling that the world seems to be more attentive to the needs of others seizes the city of Barcelona, as most destinations with Christian roots, and adds a special touch with which we forget the cold and go out to the street so that this Christmas magic surprises us.
Christmas 2019 is presented in Barcelona with many ideal proposals to be carried out as a family, some of them are the usual activities that have lasted over time and other novelties that adapt to new times. Here’s what we can do in Barcelona during the Christmas holidays.
A city without lights during Christmas does not proceed. It already happened in times of crisis where the City Council wanted to give an example of sobriety and citizens missed the usual lights that give joy to the short days of winter.
In 2019 some 400 sections of street will be illuminated with festive lights. That translates into about 100 kilometers along the streets that run through much of the city center as well as the various neighborhoods of the city.
The lighting ceremony will take place on Thursday 28 November at 5.30 p.m. in the Plaza de Can Fabra. The staging will be carried out by the theatre company Dagoll Dagom.
Christmas lights will illuminate Barcelona from 5.30pm to midnight from 28 November to 6 January.
Christmas in Plaza Catalunya
Gone is the ice rink that usually wore the Plaza de Catalunya during Christmas days. For the 2019 edition of Christmas, the square will become a space for participation, avoiding promoting the consumerist character of these dates.
Between 20 and 31 December, Plaça de Catalunya will offer free activities of all kinds especially dedicated to the illusion of the youngest with storytelling and wooden games.
ACTIVITIES IN BARCELONA
Make the most of your time in Barcelona with one of the following guided excursions in Spanish:
There will also be music concerts, theatrical performances, poetry recitals and projections of short films whose main thread will continue to be social content and solidarity.
The Santa Llúcia Fair
Santa Llúcia stops in front of Barcelona Cathedral
The Santa Llúcia Fair is Barcelona’s Christmas market par excellence and the oldest in Catalonia.
As its long tradition has been, the fair will be held in Pla de la Seu, in front of the city’s Cathedral between 29 November and 23 December. This year it celebrates its 233rd anniversary and will do so with almost 300 stops offering figures for the crib and other craft products.
Nativity scene in Sant Jaume square
The crib installed in Sant Jaume square in front of the Town Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat is another of the traditional emblems of Christmas in Barcelona. With its sometimes controversial presence, it never leaves anyone indifferent.
On this occasion, the crib is called The Sleeping Objects and is the work of Paula Bosch and the theme is tradition and creativity.
The crib can be seen between 29 November and 6 January from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
A giant Tió in front of the Cathedral
Caga Tió
The ‘Tió’ is a tradition mainly rooted in Catalonia that consists of something as simple as giving sticks to a trunk so that it “shit” its gifts.
In the Avenue of the Cathedral we can see a huge “Tió” protected by his red blanket waiting for the more
Apart from the longstanding Feria de Santa Llúcia in the Cathedral, the fair that concentrates in front of the Sagrada Familia is another of the usual Christmas in Barcelona. This is the fair with more tradition in the Eixample district and you can find Christmas trees, all kinds of trimmings, figures to make the crib at home and a wide variety of artisan products such as nougat, sausage, cheese, etc..
The fair will be open from 29 November to 23 December between 10 and 9 pm. The public holidays will last until 10 p.m.
The Christmas spirit will also tarnish the various facades of Poble Espanyol.
From the 21st to the 29th of December the site will become a Christmas theme park dedicated to homeaging the figures of Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men.
The Plaza Mayor of Poble Espanyol will be the main centre with its own Christmas market where you can find all kinds of decorative items to take home.
Undoubtedly, the protagonists will be the kids and in the program have workshops, gymkhanas, animations, makeup and even the visit of Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men to deliver the letter of wishes.
The Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men
Christmas always ends up making the dreams of the little ones come true. On 5 January the Three Wise Men will arrive at Moll de la Fusta by boat and will receive from the hand of the mayoress the magic key that opens all the doors of the city. They will then set out on a long horseback ride through the centre of Barcelona as recommend the team Barcelona apartments.
