Christmas doesn't really happen here in Asturias until this week, that is, the hype and madness that is associated with the run up to Christmas doesn't start until a few days before Christmas day. The street decorations, nativity sets, shop displays and Christmas tunes have been around for a couple of weeks but until this week, it wasn't really happening. It is a very different experience to Christmas in the UK, so quiet and very little of the frenzied must have mindset...thank goodness.
We drove to Oviedo this week to buy in supplies that we can't get here. Oviedo is about 50 minutes away by motorway. The roads were busier than usual and we must have seen... oh, at least 40 or 50 cars and vehicles....
The shops were well stocked with traditional Christmas foods and prices of key items such as seafood had risen sharply. The market was busier than normal with customers waiting patiently to be served their joints of meat, fruit and vegetables, fish and shellfish.
There was the usual display of Nativity sets outside Oviedo's wonderful Cathedral. Many shops in the area are dedicated to selling figures, miniature buildings, scenery and electrically operated effects that are built into nativity scenes in every church, many homes and numerous shop windows around town. One piece particularly amused us, it was a woman wiping a babies bottom - animated of course, with her arm moving up and down in a wiping bum sort of way...only in Spain.
There were a couple of Christmas markets and fairs open which we visited. There were sited near the central park. One was the usual bought in jewelry, leather goods, clothes and gifts which wasn't really up to much but the other was an Artesan Fair where craft workers display their creations with a few offering live demonstrations. There were some lovely items including pottery, jewelry, treen, games and puppets.
There was a demonstration in the city by Bomberos (fire-fighters) who were rallying support to prevent cuts in services, all was calm and many people were signing their petition.
The main event for many families will be Christmas Eve when a family meal is cooked. Some people will give presents on Christmas day but for the majority, presents will be given on the Epiphany on the 6th of January when the three Kings bring their gifts to baby Jesus. There will be grand parades in most towns and cities on the evening of the 5th January.
We take this opportunity to wish all of you who take the time to visit our blog, a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2015. We aim to keep telling tales from Asturias next year and hope you continue to pay us a visit from time to time either here on the blog or if you're passing....
We drove to Oviedo this week to buy in supplies that we can't get here. Oviedo is about 50 minutes away by motorway. The roads were busier than usual and we must have seen... oh, at least 40 or 50 cars and vehicles....
The shops were well stocked with traditional Christmas foods and prices of key items such as seafood had risen sharply. The market was busier than normal with customers waiting patiently to be served their joints of meat, fruit and vegetables, fish and shellfish.
There was the usual display of Nativity sets outside Oviedo's wonderful Cathedral. Many shops in the area are dedicated to selling figures, miniature buildings, scenery and electrically operated effects that are built into nativity scenes in every church, many homes and numerous shop windows around town. One piece particularly amused us, it was a woman wiping a babies bottom - animated of course, with her arm moving up and down in a wiping bum sort of way...only in Spain.
There was a demonstration in the city by Bomberos (fire-fighters) who were rallying support to prevent cuts in services, all was calm and many people were signing their petition.
The main event for many families will be Christmas Eve when a family meal is cooked. Some people will give presents on Christmas day but for the majority, presents will be given on the Epiphany on the 6th of January when the three Kings bring their gifts to baby Jesus. There will be grand parades in most towns and cities on the evening of the 5th January.
We take this opportunity to wish all of you who take the time to visit our blog, a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2015. We aim to keep telling tales from Asturias next year and hope you continue to pay us a visit from time to time either here on the blog or if you're passing....
Best wishes
Ian and Luis
What a lovely read, easy to imagine being there, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gisela. I hope to be delivering a late Christmas present to you in the Spring....I think you moght know what it is.
DeleteThanks for the wonderful description and beautiful pics. We will throw ourselves in the crowds today - but just to enjoy the feeling of not having to do ANYTHING anymore while others are running around like headless chickens. A bit of amusement, while humming a Xmas carol. X
ReplyDeleteThanks Conny - best wishes for the coming year.
DeleteI do miss the wonderful seafood in Spain, I tried to get prawns today, all I could find were prawns imported from the far east, clearly the shops here have never heard of Dublin Bay prawns, anyway they can keep what they were offering. have you ever looked carefully at the smaller nativity scenes ? You will often see a figure crouched down in the corner of the display, in Catalonia he was known as Le Crapper! We also spotted them in Galicia, maybe they are too polite in Asturia.
ReplyDeleteWishing you both a Very Happy Christmas.
Le Crapper isn't seen around here mainly Catalonia I think. Best wishes and thanks for reading and commenting throughout the year.
Deletehave a good Christmas :)
ReplyDeleteThanks CIG - we hope yours was epeaceful and enjoyable.
DeleteWe hope you had a fantastic Christmas. Wishing you both a happy, healthy and eventful 2015.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jack - we hope yours was memorable - good luck with your ventures in 2015.
DeleteThank you for sharing with us. Tis good to see how others experience Christmas. Have a great Christmas and New Year 2015 with friends, new and old.
ReplyDelete