The lights are twinkling in the shop windows, the scent of roasted chestnuts is floating through the streets, the weather is getting colder…
There’s something magical in the air in Axarquia, and it can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming!
To help you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, we’d like to offer you our pick of the best plans to celebrate Christmas in Axarquia.
Here comes Santa Claus!
Although Christmas presents in Spain are traditionally delivered by the Three Kings, in recent years Santa Claus has become more and more popular with younger generations.
Many Spanish children now receive presents from both Santa Claus AND the Three Kings – although only if they have been very good indeed, of course!
For those of you who are feeling a little homesick, this is the perfect plan to celebrate Christmas in Axarquia just like you would at home.
You can see Santa Claus and his retinue parading through Nerja, Frigilana and Almayate, all three events starting at 17:00 on December 23rd.
Enjoy some traditional Christmas treats
Forget pumpkin pie and Christmas pudding: Axarquia has its very own delicious array of Christmas treats!
One particular sweet that dates all the way back to the Moorish period is the torta de Algorrobo, a traditional biscuit made from almonds, olive oil and aniseed.
Another treat that can’t be missed at Christmas time is mantecados, delicious shortbread-like snacks that fill the streets of Axarquia with the sweet aroma of baking from mid-December all the way through to January.
If you’d like to try some of these sweet treats for yourself, head to Torre del Mar on December 23rd, where the local council will be giving out samples of local Christmas cakes from 17:00 on Calle del Mar.
Without a doubt, this is the most delicious plan to celebrate Christmas in Axarquia!
Visit a traditional Nativity display
If you’re interested in a very traditional plan to celebrate Christmas in Axarquia, why not visit a “belén”?
Putting together these Nativity displays is practically a national sport in Spain: while some families stick to a simple manger scene, others create elaborate model villages, complete with lights, rivers with real water and working windmills!
You can visit one such belén at the Vélez-Málaga town hall from now until January 5th. This 25m² masterpiece consists of over 800 figurines, each one made lovingly by hand.
Equally impressive is the enormous 40m² belén in La Azucarera, Torre del Mar, which features mountains, valleys and a miniature reproduction of Torre del Mar itself.
A beautiful way to get into the Spanish Christmas spirit!
How can I celebrate Christmas Day in Axarquia?
As you may already know, the most important event for Spanish families at Christmas is the traditional dinner the night of Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day, while families in the UK and USA are opening presents and eating dinner, Spaniards tend to go for a walk, visit friends or even indulge in a tapas crawl.
This means that you can find plenty of great plans to celebrate Christmas Day in Axarquía.
In Nerja, for example, the streets are taken over by charanga bands, who parade through the town from 17:00 on December 25th, finishing with a visit from your favourite Disney characters in Plaza de España and a lively zambombá live music performance from 20:00.
Enjoy a truly unique Christmas Day in Axarquía!
We Three Kings of Orient are
The plans to celebrate Christmas in Axarquía don’t finish on December 25th!
In Spain, the “real” Christmas celebration takes place on January 6th, when the Three Kings deliver presents to all good children.
The arrival of the Three Kings is something that every child looks forward to all year round, and it’s celebrated in style!
Many towns and cities across the country welcome the Kings in the evening of January 5th with a cabalgata: a spectacular parade with all the pomp and circumstance such illustrious visitors deserve.
Children flock to see the Kings arrive aboard their parade floats, and catch handfuls of the sweets that Their Majesties throw into the watching crowds!
If you’d like to experience this uniquely Spanish tradition, you can see cabalgatas in Almayate and Nerja from 17:00 on January 5th and in Maro in the morning of January 6th, or meet Their Majesties in person at the Parque de Navidad in Torre del Mar.
Try a traditional Roscón de Reyes
No Three Kings Day celebration would be complete without the quintessentially Spanish treat of a Roscón de Reyes: a doughnut-shaped brioche filled with cream and topped with candied fruit.
Traditionally, the cake comes with two special surprises baked inside: a tiny toy baby Jesus, and a fava bean.
Whoever finds the baby Jesus will be blessed with an entire year of good luck, while the person who bites down on the bean has the task of paying for next year’s roscón!
You’ll find Roscón de Reyes in bakeries all over Axarquía from mid-November through to January, but for a truly festive experience why not head to one of the roscón parties held all over the province?
In Nerja, you can enjoy free hot chocolate and roscón in Plaza España from 18:00 on December 30th, and then head to Vélez-Málaga at 17:00 on January 2nd for a second helping, while in Torre del Mar you can sample a slice of this traditional dessert in Calle del Mar from 17:00 on January 3rd.
A Christmas to remember!
Every country (and indeed every family) has their own Christmas traditions, and experiencing the holiday season from another perspective can be a truly magical experience.
Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy these plans to celebrate Christmas in Axarquia so much that they’ll become part of your own family’s Christmas traditions!
6 plans to celebrate Christmas in Andalucia
Créditos de las fotografías:
Foto de Navidad creado por pvproductions – www.freepik.es
Foto de Comida creado por freepik – www.freepik.es
One Comment
whoiscall
Thanks!