Christmas in Barcelona

It’s no secret that the Spanish love to celebrate, and Christmas is no exception. Thinking of visiting the Catalan capital over the festive period and would like to know a bit more about what to expect? Then look no further. We have all you need to know about Christmas in the city.

Christmas in Barcelona

Important dates over the Christmas period

6 December – Constitution Day (bank holiday)

8 December – Day of the Immaculate Conception (bank holiday)

25 December – Christmas Day (bank holiday)

26 December – Boxing Day (bank holiday in Catalonia)

1 January – New Year’s Day (bank holiday)

5 January - Parade of the Three Kings

6 January – Three Wise Kings’ Day (bank holiday)

Christmas markets

Markets are a real Christmas highlight in a lot of European cities, and you”ll find several dotted across Barcelona during the festive period. By far the largest and most popular is the Fira de Santa Llúcia, located in front of Barcelona Cathedral in Plaça de la Seu. It’s been going since 1786 and with lots of handmade decorations and gift ideas in a stunning setting, it’s the perfect place to get into the festive spirit. This year, the fair begins on 30 November and ends on 23 December.

Christmas in Barcelona

Christmas shopping

Barcelona is a fantastic shopping destination, and for Christmas shopping it really does have it all. From street markets to independent boutiques and national institutions like Zara and Mango, there are plenty of options. Plus there are extra shopping days during December during the bank holidays on the 6th and 8th, as well as on Sunday 9th, 16th and 23rd to give you enough time to pick up all your Christmas presents. Two of the most popular shopping streets are Passeig de Gràcia and Portal de l’Angel, but there are so many side streets full of unique things to give as gifts so make sure you explore those too.

Christmas in Barcelona

Ice rink

For the third year now, Plaça Catalunya is playing host to Europe’s largest open-air ice rink. Open from the end of November until the beginning of January, the price per hour is around 8 euros and it’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. This isn’t the only ice rink in the city – there are also ones in Gràcia and Passeig de Sant Joan, as well as an indoor one in the Pedralbes shopping centre.

Christmas in Barcelona

Christmas lights

The sparkly street lights in Barcelona certainly spread Christmas cheer throughout the city. They can be seen on over 300 streets around the city, with El Corte Inglés store on Plaça Catalunya putting on its own equally impressive twinkly display. Each district of the city also has its own Christmas tree, the most famous being the 12-metre one on Plaça Catalunya, covered in little lights and decorations.

Nativity scenes

Nativity scenes are huge in Barcelona and people spend a lot of time and money recreating this famous festive stalwart. The intricate nativity scenes displayed around the city are not to be missed, the most popular being in Plaça Sant Jaume, commissioned by a different artist each year. It’s life-sized and people queue at its unveiling just to take a picture of it! The unusual caganer is included in the scene, although not without its controversy. In 2005, the Council banned it, as its depiction of public defecation “set a bad example”. However, many locals were outraged by this killjoy attitude and demanded it be reinstalled.

Christmas in Barcelona

Traditional things to buy in markets

A ‘caganer’

Included in Catalan nativity scenes, this cheeky character can also be found in stalls throughout the region during December. Traditionally, the caganer is a gnome-like figure wearing the traditional Catalan barretina or red beret and with his trousers down, his backside bare, defecating! It’s a very popular tradition in Catalonia and it’s said to be a symbol of good luck for the New Year. In recent years, the Catalan figure has been substituted for famous faces such as Barack Obama, Lewis Hamilton and Homer Simpson.

Caga Tío (‘shitting log’)

Quintessentially Catalan and a big hit with kids, the Caga Tío can be found in homes all over the region. It’s a small log with a face painted on one end and wearing the typical Catalan red hat. From 8 December until Christmas Eve, children feed it sweets and take care of it by covering it in a blanket. Finally, on the 24 December, children sing the Caga Tío song and hit the log with sticks to be able to enjoy the delicacies inside. Sometimes, the log will then be used as fuel to warm the house, ‘repaying’ the warmth it has received there.

Sweet treats

Be sure to try some Spanish turrón during your December visit – a sweet that’s a firm favourite here at Christmas. Traditional turrón is made from nougat with almonds, hazelnuts and honey, although today hundreds of flavours are available. Polvorones are also a popular festive treat made from a sweet, almond paste. They’re similar to shortbread, although a lot heavier and more crumbly.

Three Kings’ Day

Although Christmas on 25 December is celebrated, it’s firmly in the shadow of 6 January – the day that the Spanish consider the most important in the festive calendar. This is the day that people typically exchange gifts and enjoy large feasts. The 5th of January is the Night of the Three Kings, the Cavalcada de Reis in Catalan, when you can catch the spectacular Three Kings’ Parade that winds its way through the main thoroughfares of Barcelona. It’s a massive display of fireworks and elaborately decorated floats, with children throwing hard-boiled sweets at the crowds who turn up to watch. Take our word for it – you don’t want to miss this.

Christmas in Barcelona

The Only Barcelona Cathedral: La Seu Cathedral

Barcelona Cathedral is located in the heart of Barcelona in the Gothic Quarter. Construction of this gothic cathedral began in 1298 under King Jaume II but it wasn’t until 1460 that the main building was completed due to various circumstances affecting the project. The main facade of the building wasn’t finished until 1889 with the central spire being constructed in 1913.

Cathedrals aren’t always everybody’s thing but this one has an extra twist. Within the grounds of it there is actually a cloister which can be accessed from within the cathedral itself or by the side entrance on Carrer del Bisbe.

The Only Barcelona Cathedral: La Seu Cathedral 

In this courtyard you’ll find a large square in the middle fenced off. In this little area is pond with a beautiful fountain in the centre as well as some trees and plants. In addition you will find a gaggle of geese roaming about. These noisy creatures thrive off the tourists and are just dying for you to feed them, so go on, bring a little bread for them!

The Only Barcelona Cathedral: La Seu Cathedral 

However there’s more behind the presence of the geese than meets the eye, if you count them you will notice that there are 13 in total. Each goose represents one year in the life of the martyr Santa Eulalia, a young girl tortured to death in the 4th century by the Romans for her beliefs.

The Only Barcelona Cathedral: La Seu Cathedral 

There’s also another smaller fountain at the other side and with there being no roof over the middle of the courtyard, it allows the garden to be flooded with natural light. Around sides of this little square are many closed off altars which contain symbols of religion or models religious figures. These can be found within the main cathedral as well and some are very elegantly made with many glimmering in the candle light with their golden facades.

The Only Barcelona Cathedral: La Seu Cathedral 

The main hall of the cathedral is something that will interest any architectural fan. It possesses an extremely high nave (the aisles are nearly the same height as well) with detail that will leave you admiring the effort that must have been put in to create something this spectacular all those years ago. One of the must sees for any visitor to the cathedral is the crypt which contains the entombed body of the aforementioned Santa Eulalia.

High-speed train to Barcelona

The romance of rail travel is hard to define. Even the grandest terminus is often grubby and crowded, and there is little allure in most station shops or cafes. Yet a journey by train has a contemplative appeal that no other form of transport can offer. Security mayhem is minimal, and there is generally a lot more comfort in a rail carriage than in a car. 

You can stare out of a window, read or simply contemplate the good things in life – a prospect that has just been spectacularly enhanced with last month's launch of the new Paris-Barcelona TGV link. This has cut the journey time from London to 10 hours, and this will be cut by another hour in May. You can leave Paris in the early afternoon and reach the Catalan capital by evening, making it possible to breakfast in London, lunch in Paris and dine in Barcelona in a day.

New high-speed train to Barcelona

This is rail travel on a different scale. The TGV Duplex trains that run on French rails, and now on to Spanish ones, are mighty affairs with double-decker carriages that carry up to 540 passengers at 180mph – although the experience feels anything but frenetic.

A Rail Europe ticket to Barcelona allows you to break your trip in Paris, not just for a few hours but for several days if you wish, at no extra cost, before you move on to Barcelona. Thus for under £200 return, you can have not just a meal in these three great cities but a lengthy break in each.