Andalucia is without doubt Europe’s most beautiful destinations to visit at Christmas time. Although this year not every family will be able to celebrate all together, Andalucia still is a unique place because of its ancient traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation.
Traditional Christmas fare in Andalucia will vary from home to home, but it is the rare house that will be without an entire leg of cured ham, jamon. Seafood is also high on the list with platter after platter of cold boiled prawns served with homemade mayonnaise and cocktail sauce.
Another essential is found in the sweets and pastries that load the shop shelves at Christmas. Turrones made of Almonds and honey, along with marzipan tarts, powdery “polverones” (dust balls) and other pastries from across the region and beyond. Many backed by the names of convents that have gained prestige thanks to their famous recipes.
Did you know Estepa is the town of Mantecados?
Estepa smells like mantecados even during summer. Their production is so high that they have to start working in August: they make 20 million kilograms in the 24 factories the town has. There is even a Mantecados tour, which allows visitors to discover the secrets behind this delicious treat.
Its origin is so fun and simple: Andalucia had an overproduction of lard and corn at that time, so they had to think about new ways to spend all that. And they came up with the mantecado!
El Gordo, the Christmas lottery.
This draw takes place every year on December 22 and it dominates Christmas TV advertising. A strong Spanish Christmas Tradition but especially strong in Andalucia is the Christmas Lottery!
Whether you like a flutter or not, if you live in Andalucia, all your colleagues, friends and family will try to convince you to buy a lottery “decimo”. One-tenth of a ticket in the biggest lottery prize in the world.
The “Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad” is known as “El Gordo” – the fat one – and last year it paid out €2.38 billion, turning entire towns into millionaires overnight.
Christmas lights from Puente Genil
Christmas and Puente Genil are closely related. The town is know to be the absolute flagship of light ornament factories in Spain.
The company called Iluminaciones Ximenez also installs local streetlights, with more than a million and a half led lightbulbs, adding of course the highest Christmas tree in the whole of Spain, raising up to reach 42 meters of height and featuring 400.000 lights. This tree is installed in the entrance to the municipality. A must see!
The chocolate Belen in Rute
Each year, the Chocolate Nativity Scene becomes the sweet representative of Christmas in Rute. This town is visited by hundreds of people that are looking to enjoy the Spain’s biggest Chocolate Nativity Scene.
Seven master pastry chefs from Gallegos Artesanos work in the making of a nativity scenes that occupies a surface of 52 square meters in which they represent the most iconic monuments of Andalucia’s main cities and characters and scenes from everyday life at the time Jesus Christ was born.
This year they have a virtual tour to enjoy safely from home.
View virtual tour from ‘Belen de Chocolate’.
Christmas Spirit
Andalucia has a real Christmas Spirit. It’s actually a wonderful way to make new local friends as you have the chance to mix with locals as you celebrate the season! We hope you can feel, see, taste or smell the true Andalucian Christmas traditions.
Feliz Navidad!
We wish you a sane Merry Christmas!
