Christmas Markets in Spain

Christmas markets in Spain might not be as grand as the northern European ones found in for example Germany, but they are nevertheless important for the Spanish people as a Christmas tradition. Another important tradition in Spain involves the nativity scene, belén, and in Spain these vary from very simple and small ones for your home to much elaborated and life-sized ones which decorate the cities and provide a true Christmas feeling.

There are markets in every Spanish city, but some of the best Christmas markets can be found in the following cities:

Christmas markets in Madrid

There are markets in almost every square in the city e.g. Plaza España and Plaza de Santo Domingo, however the largest and most popular one is located at Plaza Mayor. This market is around 150 years old and includes more than 100 stalls of different handicraft, Christmas decorations, food, jewelry, candles, sweets etc. The market normally opens sometime in the end of November and stays open until the end of December in Madrid. It's frequently visited by both tourists and locals. Close by, at Plaza Santa Cruz, there's a carnival-like market that sells wigs and costumes for El Día de los Santos Inocentes (Fool's day) which is celebrated on the 28th of December by dressing up in these items.

Christmas markets in Barcelona

The most well-known and traditional Christmas market in Barcelona is the Fira de Santa Llúcia. Like in Madrid this market also opens in the end of November but it closes just before Christmas. Fira de Santa Llúcia has been a tradition for 228 years and contains more than 200 stalls. Here you can find traditional Christmas decorations, handicraft, food and such, but also the traditional Catalan Caga Tío, which is a small log with a painted, happy face and a small red hat. This market is located close to the cathedral at Plaza de la Seu.  

Fira de Nadal a la Sagrada Familia is a smaller market with stalls selling similar products to the ones at Fira de Santa Llúcia. You can find it at Plaza de la Sagrada Familia. Mercat Gótic is another small market but this one focuses mostly on antiques. This is an all year round market that is actually overtaken by the Fira de Santa Llúcia during Christmas. It's located at Avenida Portal de l'Angel. Col.lectiu d'Artesans de l'Alimentació is also an all year round market, however it is more popular during Christmas. Vendors here sell honey, cheeses, herbs, wine, chocolate etc. You can find it at Plaça del Pi.

Christmas markets in Seville

This 2000 year old city has a lot of history that shows in its Christmas markets. Vendors sell everything necessary to make an  unforgettable Christmas. Feria del Belén de Sevilla is a market almost completely devoted to the very Spanish tradition of nativity scenes. Since this is important stuff in Spain these may range from a few Euros to a few hundred. It's located at Archivo de Indias. Exposición y Venta de Dulces is a kind of market taking place during the first week of December. The local convents start selling their sweets such as marzipan and yemas in the city  and there's always a huge line with people waiting to get their hands on these treats. If you're not interested in hustling with all the people a visit to the convents is recommended. In the city the treats are sold at the palace Real Alcazar.

Christmas markets in Granada

During December and until the 5th of January there is a Christmas market held in Granada in Plaza Bib-Rambla. Like the other Spanish Christmas markets its vendors sell all kinds of handicraft such as Christmas decorations, leather- and ceramic products, jewelry, candles, flowers and sweets from the convents.

After exploring the Spanish Christmas traditions the most important things around the Spanish holidays seem to be the nativity scenes and the sweet treats. The nativity scenes decorate both the homes and cities of the Spanish people and it's not uncommon to see life-sized ones with real animals and actors. They are an important part of the Spanish Christmas tradition and something the people are willing to spend a lot of money on. Also the Christmas treats are important, like assumedly they are in most countries. In Spain you can spoil yourself with treats such as Roscón de Reyes -a sweet donut-shaped cake filled with cream and topped with candied fruits and/or sugar. According to tradition the cake is supposed to contain a hidden fava bean as well as a small figure of baby Jesus. The person who finds baby Jesus in their piece of cake is crowned "king" or "queen" of the evening, whereas the one who finds the fava bean has to pay for next year's cake.

Turrón is another popular treat which is a kind of nougat made of honey, sugar and egg whites filled with roasted almonds or other types of nuts. It comes in a great variety of flavors and shapes and is definitely one of the real favorites for Christmas, along with Polvorón which is a type of Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk and nuts. It crumbles very easily, thereby its name (polvo is powder in English). Another treat that should not be forgotten this time of year is the roasted chestnuts. All over Spain you can find vendors at the markets or on the streets selling freshly roasted chestnuts to go.

Of course you need to visit a Spanish Christmas market if you're in the country at this time of year. It's a perfect way to get to know the traditions and the people, and if you have a sweet tooth (like myself) it's worth going just for the treats.