Get started early – Spain celebrates Christmas Eve
There are lots of Spanish Christmas traditions to savor in the run-up to Christmas. You'll find enchanting Christmas markets, elaborate nativity scenes and extravagantly dressed Christmas trees.
Nochebuena, literally translated as the good night, falls on 24 December. As dusk falls, small oil lamps illuminate windows. Later, church bells peel summoning families to midnight mass.
After the service, join people walking through the street, beating tambourines and drums in raucous celebration. Be warned. An old Spanish saying says: Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no es noche de dormir! Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!
Swap fireside for poolside
We dream about a snowy Christmas at home, but in reality we're more likely to shiver through a gloomy, rainy day. In contrast, Costa Blanca winter days are warm and sunny. So, go on, sip cava by the pool as lunch cooks. Bring traditional treats from home or adopt a more authentic Spanish approach and feast on seafood. Temperatures drop in the evening. So you can still be genuinely grateful when you unwrap cozy knitwear from your relatives on Christmas Day.
Have a Boxing Day picnic on the beach
Tucking into turkey sandwiches back home feels like an uninspiring choice. But unpack your leftovers from a picnic hamper on the beach and we guarantee they will never have tasted so good.
Explore hidden gems and hedonistic havens
With time to unwind, you can really explore the region. Villas in Javea, Denia or Moraira offer great Costa Blanca launchpads. Try the historic fishing port of Javea for idle lolling in harborside cafés. Visit Denia and its honey-colored 18th century fortress, Castillo de Denia, to discover smart shops, pavement cafés and a bustling indoor market. Make your way inland to the Orba Valley to soak up village life from yesteryear. Or try the Montgo Mountain Nature Reserve for exceptional hiking trails and unrivalled flora and fauna.
January sales with a difference
Fashionistas should sharpen their elbows for the sales from 7 January in Valencia and Alicante. And if you've still got money in the wallet and fancy yourelf as a 24-hour party type opt for the pleasure palaces of Benidorm and Torrevieja.
Wear red underwear for New Year's Eve (trust us, it's a Spanish Christmas tradition)
Spanish tradition has it that wearing new, red underwear on New Year's Eve brings good luck. It is also customary to eat twelve grapes, one on each chime of the clock at midnight. Street parties often last until morning when late night revellers gather to eat chocolate con churros (delicious hot chocolate and fried pastry).
Still in the mood to party? The main present giving day in Spain is on 6 January, Los Reyes Magos. Parades snake through cities, towns and villages the evening before and the three wise men, Balthasar, Gaspar and Melchior throw sweets to excitable children. Processions tend to be spectacular affairs and end notoriously late.