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the most important family event of the year.
Friends will meet up for a social drink or two before returning home to
a family evening and meal. As well as turron, after the meal, cava
(Spanish champagne) will be in evidence for the toast as will polverones, a
sort of cross between a biscuit and a cake, made from flour, sugar and
almonds that literally melt in the mouth. (More nightmares for the

dentists!). Naturally, Spain producing a wide range of delicious wines,
wine will be taken!

25th December: This is a national holiday but the children, if they
receive anything, will only receive a small gift. This is not a day for
wild celebration but more a day to recover from the night before and to
spend some leisurely, quality family time together maybe going for a
walk and visiting the local bars maybe even giving mother a rest from
cooking by enjoying a quiet meal out (quiet, that is, by Spanish
standards).

28th December: This is All Fools Day with knobs on! If you are not
aware of the Spanish sense of humour, today will cure you! For foreigners
who follow the Spanish news, this is not the day to believe everything
the news reader or newspaper says! Many a tall tale and odd story is
told on this day. Many areas celebrate with fireworks and bonfires and in
some areas, a young person takes on the office of Mayor' for the day
and can order adults to carry out some very strange tasks and they can't
refuse to do them!

31st December: Nochevieja. This is probably one of the wildest nights
throughout all of Spain. Nothing much happens until 11pm or so and then
people will start to flock to the village square or the major plazas in
the larger towns and cities. Fancy dress is adopted in many places and
it is not unusual to be (literally) bombed with the very loud fire
crackers the Spanish are so fond of throwing around. Many hotels and clubs
will hold special events for the more, shall I say, staid members of
the community but the revelry is wild and carefree, where ever you are.
As midnight strikes, it is traditional to eat a grape with each strike
of the bell to give yourself good luck for the coming year. This is a
very new tradition and, like so many new traditions, was invented'. In
this case by grape growers who were finding too many grapes left at the
end of the year. The grapes go down very well with cava. It is worth
noting that the grapes, nowadays, can be bought in tins of 12 from
supermarkets. Who thought THAT one up, I wonder? Once this tradition
has been observed, as was commented to me by a

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