Christmas Eve (Nochebuena in Spanish), is a family celebration in which Spaniards often gather around a table loaded with delicious food, including turrón, nougat from Alicante.

On New Year's Eve people eat twelve grapes, one on each chime of the clock.

Culture from other countries like Santa Claus, known in Spain as Papá Noel, is becoming more and more popular, but, traditionally, children write their letters to the Three Wise Men and these bring them presents on 6th January. The evening before, there is a big parade with the Magi and their court.

In some parts of Spain, you can find other types of traditional figures such as Olentzero (a coalman who descends from the Basque mountains to leave gifts for good kids and coal for the bad ones)

There are colourful ninots, giant papier-mâché figures, which satirise a political figure, or a soap star, or sports idols, or simply imagination.

The ninots remain in place until March 19th, the day known as La Cremá  (the burning). The crowds start to chant, the street lights are turned off, and all of the ninots are set on fire at exactly 12p.m. (midnight).

Easter or Holy Week, Semana Santa, is a week of Catholic processions.

The Seville Fair, la Feria de Abril, is a much more jolly event. Hundreds of tents and amusement park rides are set up. The local people dress in traditional clothes. There are parades of carriages and riders, bullfightings, fireworks, live music and lots of flamenco dancing.