Gecko Towers
Continuing our series of tips that are intended to make your transition to your new life in Marbella all the more enjoyable, by reducing any potential culture shock.
Our topic today is Christmas and the Three Kings Holiday.
Over the many years that I have known the Costa del Sol at Christmastime the dynamic has slowly changed.
Previously, the Northern European and North American style of elaborate and evocative street illuminations was not a particular feature of the Andalucia Christmas. However, over the last ten years or so retail parks, such as Marbella’s La Canada (pronounced “Canyada”), have increasingly started to illuminate their year-round placed triangular Christmas Tree-shaped lights in the first week into November. Hot on the heels of the Black Friday sales the build up to the big festival starts. It is believed that an expats desire to start to Christmas shopping in September has stimulated this willing response from the shopkeepers!
The typical celebration in Marbella starts with a family dinner on 24th December. The Big Day for gift giving falls on the eve/day of 6th January. Variously known as the “Feast of the Epiphany” or “Twelfth Night”, it comprises the 12 nights between 25th December and 5th January.
Despite the influence of the newly arrived, local Marbella families seem to still prefer “The Three Kings“ (“Los Tres Reyes”) that celebrates the delivery of gifts to the new-born infant by the three Magi. The Three Kings procession, on the evening of 5th January, typically involves three local men dressed in brightly coloured Magi’s robes and traveling on tractor-drawn carriage. One of this group, channeling the Myrrh carrying king, Balthazar, if no one of the correct ethnicity is available, will wear the inappropriate ‘black-face”. Riding in their carriage all over town the kings toss boiled sweets to the local kids who risk injury under steel rimmed wheels to secure their booty.
The procession’s audience inevitably comprises trembling youngsters who had been informed by stern parents that they should expect charcoal in their stocking. As delivered by the Magi, this ancient tradition is a sign of just how ill behaved they’ve been during the preceding year. From early November, sweet black honey comb fashioned into the shape of coal can be found in many stores acting as a Tarot-like foretelling of what the child can expect if they don’t get into line!
The ’Belen’ (Nativity Scene) can be seen in the centre of many towns and pueblos (villages). Occasionally, it can comprise live players including animals and locals dressed as angels, kings and shepherds. More usually its under a glazed cover and meticulously built by a small army of volunteers. Christ’s birth in a stable in Bethlehem is faithfully depicted and populated with the various key players in a combination of cork walled houses, terra-cotta pots, roofs trimmed in straw and wood.
A slightly confusing, and often offensive, addition to this scene of Biblical serenity, and believed to have originated in Catalonia, is the caganer. The small ceramic crouching figure who is depicted taking a poo. This figure, who manufactures will vary annually to be topical, has included political leaders and celebrities. It is thought to symbolize the more pagan notion of fertilization of the Earth.
As elsewhere in the World, traditional foods play a key role in Marbella’s Christmas celebrations. Polvorones (powdered cakes) are a kind of light powdery shortbread variously flavoured with cinnamon, aniseed or lemon. They are often purchased by the kilo in supermarkets. Traditionally, Polvorones are served with a shot of a delicious syrupy aniseed-favoured liqueur called “Anis”. It is not unusually to see a pile of these sweet treats in the offices of banks, accountants and lawyers together with a stack of plastic shot glasses for the client to enjoy a little Christmas cheer.
Marzipan, almond paste, is also used extensively in festive treats including pressed figures that are wrapped and bagged.
Turron, is a fabulous Spanish version of usually almond based nougat, that came originally from the province of Alicante. It is shaped into circles or bricks and wrapped in rice paper, it is made with toasted almonds, sugar, honey and egg white. There are newer versions that feature chocolate and puffed rice which are all delicious. It appears in the supermarkets in October and is generally gone by early January.
During the rest of the year one of the many hand made iced cream vendors will have a turron flavour, that is equally delicious.
Happy Holidays to all our readers.
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