How the Spaniards celebrate the New Year. Festive table: what they cook for the New Year in Spain. How to celebrate New Year in Spain

On the eve of the Christmas holidays, the wanderlust takes hold of us especially strongly. In terms of New Year's atmosphere, warm European countries can quite successfully compete with Lapland, Finland or Austria.

One of the most favorite places for travelers is Spain - a holiday country, a fireworks country, where shows, festivals and carnivals replace each other like pictures in a kaleidoscope. New Year in Spain will be an interesting and fun adventure; you definitely won’t be bored.

What date is celebrated: exact date

The entire Christmas and New Year period lasts from December 25 - Catholic Christmas - to January 6 - the Day of the Three Magi Kings, the Feast of the Epiphany, also called the Holy Twelve Days.

The Spaniards traditionally celebrate the New Year, as in almost all over the world, on the night from December 31 to January 1.

It is a kind of equator of the twelve days and is considered an official public holiday.

Weather and temperature these days

Have you ever celebrated the New Year in Spain?

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Spain owes its pleasant climate to its southern European location. Even the winter weather is very comfortable and sunny. On New Year's Day in Spain, the southern regions enjoy 18 °C, while in the north of the country the average temperature is 13-15 °C.

In general, the temperature almost never drops below 8-10 °C, frosts, rain and precipitation in the form of frost are rare. The temperature during the New Year holidays in the capital is from 11 to 6 °C during the day and at night, respectively.

If someone has the bold idea of swimming in winter, the most suitable place is the Canary Islands. December water temperature is 16-18 °C, and the air warms up to 20 °C. In addition, Spain also pampers tourists with many ski resorts, the peak season of which falls just in December.

So Spanish weather is varied and will appeal to guests with a wide range of climate preferences.

Of course, you won’t see snow in this weather, but the feeling of celebration and miracle is fully ensured by a huge number of bright decorations, garlands, lights and music.

The scope of the celebrations

Cheerful and emotional Spaniards celebrate any celebration on a grand scale. Each holiday will be bright and remembered for a long time. In winter in Spain, the most important and long-awaited holidays are Christmas and New Year. However, there are some differences between them.

How to celebrate Christmas

As in all Catholic countries, Christmas in Spain is considered a more important, significant and large-scale event than the meeting of the coming year. One might say it is sacred, it is celebrated with family and friends.

The very preparation for the celebration is already the beginning of the holiday. In addition, starting from mid-December, every average Spaniard goes to lavish feasts with friends or colleagues 3-4 times, ending well after midnight.

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. All relatives come to the holiday, even from the most distant districts. Everyone exchanges gifts and wishes - by the way, this Christmas tradition appeared in Spain not so long ago. Children's gifts are placed in special Christmas stockings.

Christmas Eve and the night of Christ's birth among the Spaniards is considered “blessed and not intended for sleep” and is called Nochebuena. That is why they have fun and sing songs all night.

It is also customary to attend Christmas service in church.

Another Spanish tradition is to celebrate the winter solstice Hogueras Hogueras before Christmas. It is customary to jump over a fire, thus gaining health for the whole year.

How to celebrate New Year's holiday

Spanish New Year is celebrated from December 31st to January 1st. This is the noisiest and most joyful day of the year. On New Year's Eve it is strictly forbidden to sit at home; you must definitely go out and have fun. People fill squares, streets and alleys in all cities of the country.

The moment the chimes strike and one year gives way to another, everyone becomes one big family: they congratulate, hug, and exchange souvenirs. Then carnivals, festivals, processions, dances, songs, showering of candies and confetti begin. Residents and guests are surprised by spectacular fireworks and amazing fire shows.

The holiday has two names. Nochevieja is an old night, New Year's Eve, the evening when one says goodbye to the passing year. Año Nuevo is the holiday itself, the first day of the new year.

The most popular places for public celebrations are Puerta del Sol, where the main clock of Spain strikes, Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona, and City Hall Square in Valencia.

Christmas traditions

The Spaniards respect traditions and rituals more than any other people. Thanks to the fact that they carefully preserve the values passed on by their ancestors, the culture of Spain is one of the richest, most authentic and original.

Symbols and rituals

In Spain, the number 12 is given magical significance. The key New Year's ritual is to have time to eat a grape and make wishes while the clock strikes 12. The lucky ones who manage to do this will be the favorites of fate all next year. Breaking the tradition of 12 grapes is strictly prohibited - this is unfortunate.

The iconic color is red. Anyone who wears scarlet to celebrate 2019 will be favored by Fortune.

The situation with the main Christmas characters is rather non-classical: they are different, since each region has its own favorite hero.

Kagatio is a character that is not understood by everyone, a Christmas pooping log. It is a firebrand with a painted face and two or four legs. On December 8, the children dress him, wrap him in a blanket, bring him food, and on Christmas Eve they start beating him, demanding that he defecate on his gifts.

The children also sing all sorts of songs to the log and from time to time leave the room to prepare - this gives parents a favorable opportunity to put gifts. However, Kagatio never brings big surprises, only trinkets and sweets. The character is especially common in Catalonia, Aragon and Occitania.

In the Basque Country and the Navarre region, gifts for children on New Year's holidays are brought by the gray-haired coal miner Olentzero. In Asturias, the favorite characters are Ghirria and the fisherman Anguleru, and in Galicia - Apalpador, an analogue of Olentzero.

On January 6, the Day of the Magi, the Cavalcade of the Magi appears, a kind of Christmas nativity scene. Children are especially waiting for them, because the Magi bring big gifts.

Spanish Santa Claus

The Spaniards love grandeur in everything, and their Christmas characters are not limited to just Santa Claus. The team of magical superheroes includes Papa Noel, aka the Spanish Santa Claus, Olentzero, the three sorcerer kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, as well as many small characters.

Papa Noel is very similar to the famous Santa Claus, lives at the North Pole and leaves gifts on the window on Christmas night. He has a colleague, Olentzero, revered in the Navarre region and the Basque Country.

According to legend, he died saving children from a fire, and for this the good fairy gave him eternal life. Since then, he has been a favorite of children, bringing joy and gifts. In addition to Christmas, the children are congratulated on the night of January 6, the Day of the Magi. Surprises are delivered by the Three Magi Kings.

Decorations and attributes

They started decorating evergreens according to Western European tradition recently. But every year in every house there is a poinsettia flower, popularly nicknamed the “Star of Bethlehem”. The Spaniards loved it for its red color and star shape, so the belief took root that poinsettia brings good luck and wealth.

Hebanes are widespread - scenes depicting the birth of Christ. They are installed on the windowsills of houses, in shop windows, and in main city squares. Such decorations attract many spectators and cause great delight among children.

In general, Christmas decorations are classic - streamers, bright garlands, toys, colorful balls, candles.

Present

Christmas gifts are given by both guests and hosts. They never come to the celebration empty-handed, but always bring gifts and delicacies: national halva with nuts, nougat, wine or champagne, jamon.

Those invited are given cotillions - special baskets with New Year's souvenirs: tinsel, balloons, crackers, lights, confetti, masks, candles. You will be able to open your purse and look at the surprise only after the chimes have struck.

Features of table setting

The festive table menu consists of light Mediterranean snacks, all kinds of seafood, cheese and jamon. But still, one can never do without the main dish - turkey stuffed with mushrooms. For dessert, an abundance of delicacies awaits: national turron, halva, marzipan, almond cakes, anise lollipops.

There must be grapes on the table for a magical ritual. Just as we fill glasses with champagne, the Spaniards pour Cava, the traditional Spanish sparkling wine.

Winter celebrations in Spain photo – Spain in the New Year

Below we introduce you to the views of elegant and magical Spain in the New Year.

Bottom line

Spanish culture is incredibly original. Getting to know New Year's traditions seems to take us to another planet, because absolutely everything is new in it: weather, customs, rituals, dishes, gifts and decorations.

New Year in Spain is an eternal holiday. It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlpool of emotions, but at the same time not lose the warmth of home comfort and friendly atmosphere. Christmas festivities in Spain will ensure a successful and happy year, because how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. So the extravaganza from the celebration and the country will remain in the memory for a long time.

For the Spaniards, New Year is a noisy and cheerful holiday. By dressing in all red, you guarantee yourself that good luck awaits you next year. The Spaniards love New Year's festivities so much that cinemas and theaters are closed throughout the holidays so that every Spaniard can go out and have fun there. Therefore, it is preferable to celebrate the New Year in public places rather than sitting at home at the table. In Spain there are no problems with entertainment - fortune telling, fireworks and dancing always accompany this holiday. Many Spaniards use special flowers to decorate their homes in the form of a Christmas star - poinsettia, which blooms just before Christmas. Confetti, sweets and candies are generously scattered on the streets to make it clear to everyone walking that all the bad things remain in the outgoing year.

The main character at the New Year's holiday is Olentzero, who is significantly different from other Santa Clauses. Firstly, he is dressed in a national costume, secondly, instead of a bag of gifts, he has a bottle of wine in his hands, and thirdly, children find gifts on window sills, and not in shoes or socks. However, it also brings fun to the holiday.

Keeping up with other Europeans, the Spaniards prefer to celebrate the New Year together with the street, the city and the country. The ideal place would be the central square where the Spaniards gather. It is there that when the clock strikes, you need to swallow 12 grapes and spit out the seeds before the last strike of the clock is heard, then all 12 wishes that you make while swallowing the berries will come true. In old cities, city residents can begin to remember the entire past year, summing up the results and setting the stage for the new year. And at this time, young people, by drawing names from a bag, form pairs for the entire New Year's Eve, which can then form for the rest of their lives. You can also give a traditional bag of gifts - a “cotillion”, which must be opened in the first minutes of the new year. The contents of the cotillion are quite traditional - balloons, carnival masks, streamers and confetti, but this does not make it any less expected and brings real pleasure.

The Spaniards happily party all New Year's Eve, because they only go to work on January 6th. Before going to work on January 5, the Spaniards celebrate the Night of the Magi, which is a continuation of the New Year's festivities. On this day, it is also customary to give gifts, as well as pay tribute to the camels of the Magi, leaving treats in the form of hay and water for them in the courtyard and on the balconies. And, of course, carnivals and festivities accompany this holiday. Only they know how the Spaniards cope after such a busy holiday!

August 11, 2016 4:26 pm Zurich - Switzerland, Madrid, Barcelona - Spain, Munich - Germany January 2014

This was the first New Year that we celebrated not at home, not in Russia and not at the festive table. The trip turned out to be active: 3 countries, 4 cities and 6 flights.

It all started on December 28 with a morning and very early flight from Moscow to Munich. In Munich we had no more than 6 hours to walk. Big praise for the railway transport in Germany, everything is very simple - you buy tickets from a machine, it’s clear, you can choose the language quickly, and most importantly, clearly on schedule, which is very important when viewing the city when you have a long flight connection. Having arrived in the city center via the S-Bahn, we found ourselves in the central square of the city - Marienplatz, dark, sparsely populated and all the Christmas beauty was being dismantled. About +7 degrees and very quiet. The town turned out to be very quiet, cozy, and, as it seemed to me, typical German. Beautiful, discreet, clean. We were very upset that all the decorations for Christmas were dismantled on December 28, we knew that the fairs end on December 24-25, but it was a surprise that absolutely everything was removed.

Due to the fact that we only had 6 hours, we were only able to see the central part of the city. After a walk, we went to a restaurant. From food we tried sausages: white Munich and red, cabbage, mashed potatoes and beer, the food was average, I generally realized that I don’t like German and Austrian (Viennese) cuisine. None of this compares with Czech cabbage and shanks. Then we took the same S-Bahn train back to the airport, but it turned out that only the back part of the train was going there. We would have left in the other direction from the airport if it weren’t for the caring Germans. They saw that we were with a suitcase (in Germany things are incredibly cheap; at the time the exchange rate was 1 euro = 43 rubles, and then we bought a suitcase for 50 euros and managed to buy a lot of things on a shopping street, not far from the square). We had to quickly run across with a new suitcase full of things.

I especially want to note the inspection at the airport, if the Italians don’t care what you’re taking there, where you’re going and whether you’re going to stay here, then the Germans checked everything - documents, reservations, return tickets, the purpose of the visit, and very seriously inspected everyone, then there was no these high-profile terrorist attacks in Europe, but they were still on alert. We flew to Munich and from there to Barcelona by Lufthansa, everything was very good, tasty, cozy, only their landings were a bit scary, the plane seemed to fall to the ground both times.

Barcelona.

The second city was Barcelona, where we stayed from the evening of December 28 to 31. We arrived in the evening and wandered around in the center for a very long time, looking for our hotel not far from Plaza de España. It turned out that the hotel was right under our noses and we were just wandering around. The Onyx Fira hotel turned out to be pleasant, with internet in the room and in the very center of the city. The fact is that Fira is an exhibition complex not far from the square, and everyone sent us there, but the hotel has a sign on the side, and it’s simply not visible. After walking around the square in the evening and eating local food at Tapa-Tapa (their potatoes and jamon are delicious), we went to bed.

The morning started with breakfast, we try not to take breakfast at the hotel, it is rarely tasty there and there is no national food either. The Spaniards have very strange breakfasts. There are 2 options here, either you will be offered a baguette (bun, panini, whatever) stuffed with tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, a small amount of herbs and jamon, maybe with cheese, or you will be offered churros with hot chocolate. In general, I don't associate this food with breakfast, but the churros are worth a try. These are donuts that are considered a national delicacy in Spain; in Barcelona they are often sold with a filling - white cream or chocolate; in Madrid I have never seen them with a filling. On all our trips, my husband and I like to wander around the city on our own; we can find up to 30 km in a day.

Barcelona is generally conducive to such walks; there is something to see and where to go. Moreover, at the end of December the weather is beautiful, it reminds me of our Moscow September in a good year. During the day around +18-20, in the evening 12-15. I even soaked my feet in the sea and lay on the beach. From Piazza di Spagna we walked to the fountain and up through the Fira complexes to the observation deck. The city is amazing, perhaps one of the best I've ever seen: warmth, sea, beach, palm trees, sun, blue sky and view of tiled roofs, as well as a sea of flowers, palm trees, greenery and tangerines on the trees - this is a very incomplete description of Barca. We really liked it near the port and in general on the embankment, we walked to the Olympic rings, in the 90s there was an Olympics here. The impression of the city is a fairy tale from which you don’t want to leave.

But the Barcelona metro is something terrible, uncomfortable platforms, no decoration, water is pouring (!), there are holes in the walls, and it’s not cheap, and besides, it’s a zonal system that I still haven’t fully understood. For 2 full days there we walked around the city from 2 different sides, saw Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, La Rumba Boulevard, Plaza de España and Plaza Catalunya. We didn’t have time to get on the lift, even in December the queue was very long, the staff said at least 2 hours, but we didn’t have that much downtime, we wanted to see more. And in general, you need to return to Barsa, preferably when the water is warm. Regarding the New Year, there simply isn’t one in Europe, there are few Christmas trees, even fewer decorations, but in Moscow the holiday is felt much more. There were Christmas trees in Barcelona, they were not removed until the New Year, like in Germany, but they look very strange against the background of palm trees. Usually in Moscow at the end of December I am always in a festive, New Year’s mood, in warm Spain I didn’t have it at all, it seemed to me that I was somewhere in September.

On the afternoon of December 31st we set out for Madrid. Our flight lasted only 50 minutes, no complaints about Iberia. But the crew on the plane was cheerful; apparently, families were flying for the New Year, because on the plane there were only children and parents, and many babies. I love children very much, but when a wild scream doesn’t stop around you for 50 minutes, and I feel sorry for them, but it’s terrible. We lived at the Vita Angle Hotel, I liked it there. We spent December 31 and New Year's Eve like this: we walked around Sol Square (the center of Madrid needs to be told about it separately), went to a bad restaurant, burned sparklers and wore a warm coat, unlike Barça, where we had jeans + a sweatshirt and sunglasses ideal dress code.

In the room we opened champagne, bought in a small store from a Chinese, we had jamon, baguette and amazing Philadelphia cheese, and tangerines with chocolate. For the future, I realized that if you are going somewhere for the New Year, you should take care in advance about the meeting place of this holiday. Options in Madrid: a random restaurant, which is what we did, we went to a restaurant at 11 pm, the only thing there that reminded us of the holiday was replacing the regular menu with another one, no, don’t think that there were special dishes, the same, but all the prices multiplied by 2. After sitting there for 30 minutes in the company of another Russian couple and several Chinese, watching TV in Spanish, we realized that it was better to celebrate at the hotel, where we had supplies and champagne. We went out into the street in anticipation of the fireworks, lit the sparklers brought from Moscow and were disappointed, there were maybe 20 volleys, the fireworks lasted about 1.5 minutes.

People dressed in wigs and funny headbands began to disperse from the central square; at one in the morning the square was empty. And now the most surprising thing is that at 9 am we went outside... and discovered that by Russian standards, there was no holiday. Broken glass? Dead streets? Drunk and cheerful company? No, we haven't heard. Well, there are no special decorations, slides, or Christmas trees in the city, there was only one Christmas tree, rather a yellow metal structure, in the square. On the street at 9 am, half the shops were open, almost all the restaurants, there were a lot of people! No scale of celebrationJ We first walked to the Bank of Madrid and the museum quarter, Retiro Park. We went into a Catholic church, a service was going on there. We looked at the Prado Museum building. At this point it started to rain, my German Ugg boots began to get wet, we hurried to the room to change clothes. In general, the weather in Marida and Barcelona is very different, in Barcelona it was our September, with a pleasant +18, in Madrid it was November with +7 during the day and +1 at night, you will definitely need an umbrella here.

In the evening we went to the main street and found the Piazza di Spagna, and on it a monument to Cervantes (Don Quixote and Sancho Panza). About Place de Sol. It turned out very funny, we went far from our hotel and decided to also see the central square - de Sol, somehow according to the guidebook, with the help of asking the local population, we managed to get there, when we arrived we laughed for a long time! It turned out that this was the first place that we saw in Madrid, and we lived 5 minutes from it and celebrated the New Year there, but we never found out the name.

Comparing 2 Spanish cities, I will definitely give preference to Barcelona. Madrid is an interesting city, but Barça is a universe that you don’t want to leave. If I now divided my days between Madrid and Barcelona, then Madrid would have 2 days, no more.

We flew from Madrid to Iberia (which is also where we arrived), with registration itself, quite strange, but they didn’t charge us 60 euros for luggage and we saved, it was nice. In Barcelona we had an evening and half a night. We stayed in a hotel near the airport (however, a taxi to the airport cost us 32 euros!). And all taxi drivers are girls! Best Western Alpha Aeropuerto, 4 stars, room in high-tech style, but there is nothing at all near the hotel. The morning started at 3 o'clock, taxi, flight to Zurich.

New Year in Spain: vivid photos and videos, detailed description and reviews of the New Year event in Spain in 2020.

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New Year in Spain cannot be called a family celebration; here it is a real national celebration. Here this holiday is celebrated in a special way, in accordance with the hot temperament and ardent disposition of the local residents.

It rarely snows here, but this does not lose the festive atmosphere at all - everything sparkles with multi-colored illuminations, shop windows and residential buildings are elegantly decorated, and the streets are full of cheerful and smiling people who love and know how to have fun.

It is not in the Spanish tradition to spend New Year's Eve with a sumptuous feast - a few light appetizers and one main course, sweets - that's all that can be seen on the Spaniards' New Year's table, and, of course, a lot of wine and champagne. A richer dinner with an abundance of festive dishes is usually arranged on the eve of Catholic Christmas.

In general, Spaniards are accustomed to celebrating the New Year very noisily and en masse in the main squares of cities around the New Year tree. Although many people prefer not to install a traditional coniferous tree at home, but buy a beautiful Christmas flower - poinsettia. This is probably why the local Santa Claus, known as Papa Noel or Olentzero, leaves gifts on the balcony.

And if in our country it is customary to drink sparkling wine before the chiming clock, then in Spain at this time you must have time to eat twelve grapes, which symbolize a happy life in all twelve months of the coming year, and those who are lucky enough to have time to eat all the berries are guaranteed the fulfillment of the cherished desire.

Although, according to Spanish belief, in order for your wishes to really come true, you must wear new underwear on New Year’s Eve and certainly red. Also, in order to live happily next year, you need to eat one of the national delicacies - halva with nuts, dried fruits or chocolate, because since ancient times it was believed that it brings happiness and prosperity to the house.

A very interesting Spanish New Year's tradition is a kind of lottery - the names of all the boys and girls present are written on pieces of paper, then the bundles with the names are put into two baskets, separately for men's and women's names, after which everyone pulls out a bundle with the name of their companion. Sometimes, in this way, couples are formed who subsequently tie themselves in marriage.

New Year celebrations often take place right on the street, everyone has a lot of fun, organizes various processions and carnivals, general dances - and all this is always accompanied by continuous fireworks and various pyrotechnic shows.

Reduces exclusively to traditional religious processions, hymns glorifying the birth of Jesus, Christmas plays and the obligatory twelve grapes that must be eaten on New Year's Eve - don't believe it! Spain, in whose culture and way of life echoes of the traditions of many peoples who inhabited its lands at different times are intricately intertwined, is able to appear before its guests and inquisitive hosts on these holidays as cheerful and a little reckless, witty and beautiful, mysterious and, at the same time, willingly opening her heart to anyone who wants to at least try to understand her.

So, today we are talking about something that you will not see anywhere else. Exclusivity guaranteed!

Algeciras: stocking up on empty cans

- For what? - you ask. The thing is that in this city they are an indispensable attribute of the New Year and Christmas holidays. Spanish children receive their New Year's gifts not on January 1, but on January 6, the Day of the Magi. But the problem is that next to the city, on Mount Botafuegos, there lives, according to legend, an evil giant. He could easily send a huge gray cloud over the city and prevent the wise men from delivering gifts. How to drive him away? Noise, of course. So local children collect empty jars throughout the New Year holidays, tie them together and on January 5 solemnly drag them along the streets, scaring away the giant and reminding the wise men of themselves.

What does it have to do with you? It's simple. Every adult is a child at heart... Let's make some noise?

Balmaceda: the black-faced messenger of the holiday

During Christmas and New Year, who will be the first in the Basque Country to learn the long-awaited good news and share it with everyone around them? You won’t believe it, this is a local charcoal burner who, sitting in the bushes, learned about the birth of Christ and rushed to be the first to spread the news among his fellow countrymen. That's what the legend says, at least. The cheerful drinker, and this is exactly how the image of the charcoal burner Olentzero appears before us, is greeted with special honor in the town of Balmaceda. Together with his bag filled with gifts, he is a welcome guest in any home, especially if children live in it. The functions of this folklore character include distributing gifts in kindergartens and schools and, of course, congratulating everyone he meets on the street. So, if you find yourself in Balmaceda during the holidays, be prepared for unexpected encounters.

And just recently another New Year’s tradition appeared here. The surrounding areas are mountainous, and one of the local peaks, Colitza, is generally considered the symbol of Balmaceda. On January 1, local climbers organize an ascent to it and prepare a special festive stew at the top, washed down with local wine “txakoli” (this is something like dry champagne).

Montamarta: get hit in the back with a trident

Apparently, even the organizers of the holiday themselves do not know who Sangarron is. A strange guy, in equally strange clothes, with his face covered with a mask, and even with a trident in his hand. However, there are more than enough people willing to play his role in the Castilian town of Montamart. But not everyone is suitable. Firstly, the role of Sangarron can only be entrusted to a guy. Secondly, he is preparing to leave for service in the Spanish army in the very near future. The closer the term of the military share, the greater the likelihood of playing an honorable role at least once in your life.

On the morning of January 1, they will wake him up early and start dressing him in a hastily sewn suit made from blankets and towels right there. Put a mask on your face, a bell on your belt, and go outside. Until the end of the mass, Sangarron wanders around the town, receiving New Year's gifts from people he meets. Then he enters the temple, bows three times, strikes two loaves of bread lying on the altar with a trident and, backing away, goes outside.

From this moment on, Sangarron is transformed. With every right, he runs around the central square of the town, trying to hit everyone within reach three times with his trident.

The meaning of this action is completely clear, probably, only to its participants. But it turns out to be so fun and interesting that all the surrounding towns are gradually acquiring the same Sangarrons, and in Montamart they decided to organize the same holiday not only on January 1, but also on January 6. Little of. An association of friends of Sangarrón has been created in the province.

San Juan de Belegno: either a kiss or a blow with a bag

New Year's Spain is rich in mysterious characters. You can wonder for a long time about who Ghirria is, who appears every year on January 1 in the Asturian village of Belegno. Girria's honorary escort is local youths on horses, numbering at least forty. Its traditional signs are snow-white (at the first stage) trousers with scarlet fringe sewn into them and a tall cap made of sheep skins with a fox tail on the top. And most importantly, a hefty bag on his shoulder filled with ash.

We’ll tell you a secret that this is, apparently, a mythical troll who turned into a charming young guy during the New Year holiday. Only on January 1, he was given the right to freely kiss and pinch all the girls he met along the way. And those who do not like the ancient tradition risk getting hit on the back by Girria with that same bag of ash.

What the famous snow-white trousers of Girria turn into by the end of the holiday - guess for yourself...

Plentsia: burn, burn, log!

Of course, the majority of Basques are Catholics. But it is all the more interesting to see how intricately Catholicism and pagan traditions are intertwined among them. New Year is no exception.

The tradition of burning a festive log in the hearth of the home on New Year’s Day is one of the ancient rituals. Its logic is simple. All nature around us is alive. This means that we can, through one or another action, influence the processes occurring around us. Let's make a fire in the hearth, burn a log - and the power of the fire will be transferred to the sun, which just by this time has noticeably weakened. The days have become short!

But if in most Basque towns burning it is no more than a nice home tradition, in Plentsia they approached the matter thoughtfully and on a large scale. The ancient Basque gods work together to deal with evil spirits so that nothing interferes with the burning of the festive log. And only then, after a colorful theatrical performance, a big fire is lit. So the holiday turns out great!