Christmas at home

[poshtotti]

Being a bit of a "Baaah Humbug" I've escaped Xmas at home for the last 9 nine years & gone overseas. This year is very different......

My mother & 2 fantastic friends are coming over & my partner has been told he is NOT allowed to go be away at work this Xmas!!

I know it's a a couple of months 'till Xmas but I was a brownie & brown owl told me to "Be Prepared"

Having spent Xmas in a few different countries, mostly Muslim, Xmas has been almost null & void (baaah).

What's Xmas like in Spain?
Where shall I buy the turkey? (does any one eat turkey during the other 11 months of the year?)
Is it going to be a stake out to find an Xmas tree?
Can you get parsnips in Spain? - What's the Spanish for parsnips?
I understand from a recent posting by Silver that the Spaniards have Xmas dinner on the 24th! hmmmmm......that's 2 missed Xmases made up for mum!
When do all the shops close & how long for? - Do you see people stocking up on a years supply of loo rolls (like they seem to do in Sainsbury on the 23rd as if the shops are closing for 2 months not 2 days)

I woke up this morning after dreaming I had forgotten to drown the Xmas pudding in brandy, I haven't got a clue how to even make an xmas pud!!!
Please help me before I start a reoccurring dream that I've forgotten to buy a turkey!

[Kahuna]

Posh, we too are going to spend our first Xmas away from the UK and we're really looking forward to it. We'll be in Teba for New Year too. Since there are only 5 other Brit couples in the surrounding area we're hoping to get involved in more traditional Spanish holiday festivities (what-ever they might be) but we're certainly going to be on the look-out for an Xmas tree.

If you get any good resources - keep us posted.

Cheers

Ian

[curatokid]

Guzmans at Alhaurin always have a good supply of Christmas trees and all the trimmings, but no turkeys !!

[samizdat]

Xmas in Teba might be a bit of a letdown, you would do better to share with the other English couples. You certainly wont be able to buy decorations, turkeys or Xmas puds inland.

Spanish Xmas seems to be totally un-commercial - i.le. family dinner on 24th nothing else until big celebrations for the 3 kings in January.

The concept of street lights and Santa Claus is totally unknown! we had American and Japanese friends over last year and where driving around Granada town looking for "Xmas" They where immensly disappointed with the lack of commericalism.

That plus Xmas meant that our Spanish friends where spending it with family we had to amuse ourselves until people returned home from the country on 8th January!!

The celebrations for processions in January are the highlight of Xmas in Spain, all we found to do around 25th was to go and look at the cribs and nativity scenes around Granada town.

Make sure you bring all your xmas food and fun with you!!

[silver]

Christmas in Spain for the Spanish is a very family oriented fiesta, starting with dinner on the 24th after which..the older and/OR RELIGIOUS ONES POP OF TO MIDNIGHT MASS..whoops sorry mi finger slipped...kids go off to bed..while all from teens on, go out to discos, pubs or whatever..(so the streets and establishments are full..from 12pm)till dawn when they have their traditional hot chocolate with churros (a kind of straight donut) before returning home to recover..spending most of the day in bed...
turkey could form part of their traditional dinner along with Spanish hams, chorizos, salami stuff...fresh sea-foods...salads to start then turkey or another roast meat or a large fish roasted..angulas (mini eels) are popular in the north...the traditional sweet is Turron a kind of almond nougat that comes in soft and hard..very hard variety..along with other modern varieties of turron, coffee and champagne...as its a family occasion each do and provide a part of the meal which is normally held at the home of the head of the family.
Sorry cant help with what the English do but I have noticed that most coastal restaurants and hotels do offer the traditional british christmas dinner and some have entertainment.
Xmas tree real ones available in garden centers and some other places too..artificial ones and decorations available all over.
parsnips I usually manage to find them...they call the chiribis in Alicante where they are popular, grow and sell them..but down here in Andalucia they are not very well known..cant remember seeing a name on them...if you like parsnips a lot (like me) stuff a couple in your case..I would...dont know if its legal though
Shops..you might find the odd one on the coast on 25th..which I notice is on sunday this year...so some shops will also be closed on 26th...but not many. If you need

a years supply of loo rolls

for a couple of days...then yes stock up..you can always use em later.

[costakid]

All your xmas stuff is available at el corte ingles at malaga. decoratoins are on the floor with the toys. 3rd i think. xmas puddings etc are in the food section down stairs. If you come into malaga at night after the 1st week of december you will see xmas lights and decorations that put oxford street and blackpool to shame. Fantastic.
Enjoy.

[Lorraine - Mijas]

I haven't experienced a Christmas in UK for 15 years, so I'm struggling to remember what it's like. Spain's celebrations during 25/26th seem fairly uneventful, possible a visit to church followed by a quiet family stroll. Christmas lights are fairly naff but are improving slowly each year. although Plaza de Constitution in Fuengirola was very very pretty last year. Didn't go into Malaga last year so can't comment.
The big new garden centre in Alhaurin had loads of lovely real tree's last year. You can also buy lots of traditional British stuff in all the Dunn's stores but obviously more pricey, including parsnips (yuk) (of the frozen variety) haven't seen any fresh ones.
Turkey's widely available in all the big supermarkets (fresh or frozen) I buy skinless turkey breast fillets regularly as for some bizarre reason they are cheaper than the chicken ones.
Would recommend you do your own dinner rather go to one of the hotels or a Spanish restaurant. All the 4* hotel gala dinners I've experienced in both Spain and Canaries have been revolting. A couple of years ago I booked lunch out at a Spanish restaurant that I'd previously eaten lovely meals in. It was expensive and the Menu read as being Traditional British but it was most certainly NOT. Turkey was almost like re constituted meat which is stuffed with Apricots, dates and Sultanas and cooked as a rolled joint, quite sloppy and with virtually no vegetables. Many hotels serve it this way too but it's not very nice.
Can't say I've ever seen the Spanish having a food shopping frenzy (presents, yes, food no). You will see plenty of it going on, on the coast but that will be the mad Brits, who can't get out of the habit!!
I personally am off to the Canaries again for Xmas, to spend it in the sun with friends, best to make your own fun and not rely too much on finding it within a country who don't go in for the mass commercialism that we Brits have been brought up with.
Hope you have a good one, however you approach it.
Lorraine

[jpinks]

.....best to make your own fun and not rely too much on finding it within a country who don't go in for the mass commercialism that we Brits have been brought up with.

Quite so - I am delighted to say I haven't seen a fairy light for years

[silver]

Lorraine

I personally am off to the Canaries again for Xmas, to spend it in the sun with friends, best to make your own fun and not rely too much on finding it within a country

Canaries..great Spanish Islands, nice place to spend Christmas.
Hope you are taking your Mum

England as much as I love it is incredibly expensive and so a lump some is my only real option if I'm to spend long periods of quality time with my mother who's recently been diagnosed with a slow developing terminal illness.

with you, although seeing that you

haven't experienced a Christmas in UK for 15 years

you could always change your mind.

a country who don't go in for the mass commercialism that we Brits have been brought up with.

Gosh that does makes us sound really important

Can't say I've ever seen the Spanish having a food shopping frenzy

Take another look..in January.. if you can get close enough to see...reminds me of oxford st first day of the sales.

Spanish restaurant that I'd previously eaten lovely meals in. It was expensive and the Menu read as being Traditional British

Best place to eat a traditional British meal or Christmas dinner is an English restaurant.

parsnips (yuk) (of the frozen variety) haven't seen any fresh ones.

The frozen ones you get are imported from UK... In high class veg shops fresh parsnips are available.

[brenda]

Fresh Parsnips available east of Malaga at Eastenders in Torre del Mar and the Farmers Market (every Tuesday) at Puente Don Manuel.

[Babby]

Samizdat, how long is it since you´ve been "inland" to Teba - Antequera, Campillos area? Plenty of Xmas decorations available and if you get stuck, go to New Eroski shopping centre in Antequera - last year they had an array of Xmas trees and decorations, xmas cards, wrapping paper, you name it.

Personally, I don´t really like turkey so it doesn´t bother me if its available or not (and it is), much prefer chicken or pork or both. I think it is quite nice to eat a traditional Spanish meal on the 24th. I think the quality of food in this area is absolutely fantastic.

[samizdat]

Samizdat, how long is it since you´ve been "inland" to Teba

about 4 years - whats the point of the "inland" its an hour from the sea! and about 20 k to Antequera

o Plenty of Xmas decorations available and if you get stuck, go to New Eroski shopping centre in Antequera - last year they had an array of Xmas trees and decorations, xmas cards, wrapping paper, you name it.

so thats another part of Spain thats been commercialized and ruined by the approach of the Brits

[Babby]

You haven´t seen anything yet wait until the high speed train and airport gets here. Have to look on the positive side - there will be more facilities in this area - more jobs for the Spanish - etc.

[silver]

brenda thanks ..what/where is eastenders

samizdat

whats the point of the "inland" its an hour from the sea! and about 20 k to Antequera

Where to go depends entirely on the individual choice. One mans beef is another man poison.. You could just as easily have said..Inland is not for me I,d rather be by the sea...like any other Gentleman.

so that's another part of Spain that's been commercialized and ruined by the approach of the Brits Crying or Very sad

These kind of comments can be quite fun..down the pub.

[silver]

poshtottiI think most of your questions have been answered. Christmas is a friend/family time of year, you have your

mother & 2 fantastic friends are coming over & my partner

Sounds good to me and I'm sure that you will have a great time.
Don't over do the xmas pud!!!
[/quote]

[samizdat]

samizdat
Quote:
whats the point of the "inland" its an hour from the sea! and about 20 k to Antequera
Where to go depends entirely on the individual choice. One mans beef is another man poison.. You could just as easily have said..Inland is not for me I,d rather be by the sea...like any other Gentlem

an.


It doesnt say whats the point of the existance of places inland - its meant to say why has the prevoius poster put my word inland in "" - questioning my use of inland for somewhere hours from the coast.

I am 1.half hours from coast so you could say I support Inland - silver!

[silver]

I do apologies
I do find it annoying when some refer to "inland" with a tendancy to insult.. ignorance does tend to cause some confusion between " inland" and "inferior".

[campo babe]

You can buy mince pies, christmas puds and marzipan at Supersol. Also at Dunns in El Ingenio at Velez Malaga. Dunns also sell jars of mincemeat if you want to make your own mince pies.

Last year I ordered a turkey at my local butchers in Rincon de la Victoria and they supplied me with the weight I asked for. They also cleaned it for me when I arrived to pick it up. Best not to leave it until Christmas Eve to collect because shops close early for the traditional Spanish Christmas.

Dunns also had christmas crackers, fairy lights and imitation Christmas trees.

Sprouts seem to be available in most supermarkets over the Christmas period, but parsnips are difficult to find, I have been told they can be bought in a vegetable shop in Nerja.

If you want to go out to celebrate on Christmas Eve, there is not much open, (in my experience).

Boxing Day is not celecbrated in Spain so all the shops are usually open again. So no need to panic buy. However, this year Christmas Day is on Sunday so I don't know if this will make any difference.

The Christmas lights stay up until Three Kings and there is usually a procession early in the evening with sweets being thrown to the children.

[poshtotti]

Thank you everyone for great & interesting replies. Maybe I will stop being such a humbug where xmas is concerned.

I've found out for desperate fresh parsnip fans that when you buy the mixed vegetable packs in Supersol that there is a parsnip included!!!!

For the first time in many years I am looking forward to spending Xmas at home in Spain. I know it's still early, but whatever/ where ever you choose to do/go, I hope you have a good one! - I certainly will!!

[silver]

poshtotti

've found out for desperate fresh parsnip fans that when you buy the mixed vegetable packs in Supersol that there is a parsnip included!!!! Very Happy

Thanks I have used these, trouble is we need at least 8 packets .. what do you do with all the carrots