Christmas in Spain - Christmas in Spain covers everything about the traditions and customs of a Spanish Christmas. From travel advice and accomodation to rent to Spanish Christmas recipes and a breakdown of all the major celebrations in Spain!
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Father Christmas vs the Three Kings |
| Posted by Nicolas (admin) on Jan 10 2008 at 4:15 PM |
Spanish children have always received their gifts from Baltazar, Melchior and Caspar (the 3 Kings/wise men) on January 6th, with major processions taking place in most towns on the night before.
With the constant influx of world culture, Santa Claus is becoming more and poular with children in Spain. Both television and film is heavily influencing cultures around the world, and shops are very happy to use Santas image to sell more goods.
The three kings have been part of the Spanish Christmas for centuries, and it was only after the second world war that US soldiers stationed in Spain began popularising Santa or Father Christmas (Papa Noel in Spanish).
Many consider Santa Claus a commercial invention, and his advantage over the Three Kings is that his earlier appearance allows children to enjoy their presents over the Christmas holidays. Speaking with some Spanish residents, a number of falsehoods are still believed ... including that Santa was simply a marketing tool for Coca Cola! However, history tells a different story and most families have now come to celebrate both days, with children having a doubly special Christmas period.
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