Christmas in Spain: Part 1

In lieu of my previous, rather disparaging post, I thought I should give a more general, well rounded description of my time in Madrid during the Christmas season. For while it is certainly not all roses and whatsits, it's certainly not all bad.

In fact, I have found some things about la Navidad here an improvement on the normal swing of things in the US of A.

One perk about Christmas here, from a child's point of view, is that, due to the recent invasion of Santa from the North of Europe. In many ways, Santa Claus is like his Visigoth predecessors; an imposing, Germanic figure riding into Spain on a Northern steed (or steeds, as it were), taking over portions of Spanish culture by sheer audacity and charisma. The result of this recent invasion (which has also brought with it the advent of the Christmas tree in previously Tannenbaum-los society) is that Spanish children have two days of gifts open to them. Granted, it depends on the disposition, but the potential remains that little Juan or little Juanita may receive gifts on the 25th at midnight, brought by the jolly sainted Claus, and also by The Kings on January 6th, traditionally celebrating the arrival of the Magi with their gifts for Jesus.

While the material gain is not all that important to me, I like the idea of celebrating the Kings Day, simply because it draws out the Christmas season a little longer, giving me more time to dwell on it's significance. Also, it helps combat the popular error that the Wise Men visited Jesus in the stable, since it places the Magi apart from the actual manger-event with the shepherds and whatnot. Or at least, it should. Come to think of it, most Spanish crèches I have seen have had the Wise Men there with the whole gang. Ok, forget that.

Still, I like the drawn-out Christmas celebration, that lasts from at least December through the 6th of January.

On a more negative note (this is to be a well-rounded post, after all) Spanish Christmas carols leave quite a lot to be desired, at least from a my Northern-European Christmas sense. According to a Spaniard I talked to about this, it is because Spanish "Villancicos" do not serve the same purpose as our Christmas Carols. They are not meant to carry the "Spirit" of Christmas, impressing a pensive and joyful sense on the hearer, rather, they are rowdy drinking songs, meant to help one enjoy the, ahem, "spirits" of Navidad, and really aught only to be sung when one is properly shnookered.

To end on the up, I have actually enjoyed being in Spain for Christmas, even though it means being away from family and friends, as well as all of the Christmas things I know an love. It has helped me to take a step back and look at the reasons behind all the things we do to celebrate Christmas, and to see the meaning that the signs point to. I've even delved into the history of some of my favorite Christmas carols, and found some really interesting and inspiring stories.

All that is to say, Christmas away from home can be ok, and even good, despite being away from loved people and traditions. If you've found yourself in a similar predicament this year, take some time to really dig into your traditions and look at the meaning some of them may carry. Don't worry that the 25th has already come and gone; remember, you have until at least the 6th of January!