Allie in the South of Spain

I figured that before this first month of this new year ended I should probably post about our adventures during Christmas and the holiday season (mostly before I forgot what everything we did and who we saw). So here goes: Jose and I being teachers have a nice long break from work during Christmas and this year it started on the 22nd, a Friday. That day at our girls´daycare the fantastic and ever patient women who work there created a living Nativity scene with all of the children so we dressed Laura and Vera up like shepherdesses and in my opinion they were the stars of the show. I know that every parent thinks that and realize that they were being plied with cookies and cheetos to sit there nicely, but they looked so damn cute! A bonus was the chocolate and churros that they served all the parents after the "performance." We had basically just enough time to get everything organized and prepared for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day which we always celebrate ...

This post is coming late because as you might know from my last post, things have been a bit crazy around here this month. Now that we are back home from the hospital and I have some more free time I am going to try to write more on the blog, especially since I feel like the girls are growing so fast! This entry is important since it chronicles their first Christmas. Enjoy! Noonie came to visit! I like the Christmas season but I have to say that this year was super special since it was Laura and Vera's first. Jose and I tried to do all the fun stuff associated with the holidays and over the past month and a half we have had a blast. From shopping for gifts, to spending time with family and friends, to visiting Seville and our town´s city center, everything has been wonderful.  Downtown Sevilla We kicked off Christmas by heading into Seville to see the lights. We went after work one afternoon early enough that it wasn't too cold and before there were too many people...

Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! Rebajas The day after everyone celebrates with the coming of the Three Wise Men (January 6th) and right after they have bought and given out lots and lots of gifts to family and friends is when one of the two HUGE annual sales begins here in Spain. These sales are called rebajas. It is a time in which companies sell off the last season´s merchandise (most often clothes) in order to make room for the new. As you can imagine, in a country where there are only 2 times a year with markdowns, the rebajas can get pretty crazy. Especially during the first few days as people try to snatch up good deals. Think Black Friday but without the reported violence. I myself don...

After last year's 3 King Parade Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! The Three Wisemen The Three Wisemen, The Magic Kings, The Three Kings of the Orient, The Magi, whatever you want to call them, these three guys are Spain´s equivalent to Santa Claus. They bring children toys on the night of January 5th which coincides with when the Wisemen arrived to meet the baby Jesus, bringing gifts.  Instead of reindeer, these dudes have magic camels, so children are sure to leave them water and carrots. They (the Kings, not the camels) also have names: Baltasar, Melchor and Gaspar and people tend to have a favorite. Children write to the Kings to ask for gifts and they know that if they are bad, they won´...

Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! English team Company parties Admittedly company Christmas parties probably happen all over the world. But they are especially important here in Spain. I think this is a really nice thing that companies do for their employees, usually offering a lunch or dinner as a time to celebrate the season.  Both of the places that Jose and I work had a Christmas party this year (Jose's allowed spouses while mine did not). I had a really nice time at both events. At left you can see Jose with a few of his co-workers, all part of the English team. We are really lucky that not only are they great, but their wives are as well! It means we always have a great time together. M...

Eating grapes in Salamanca a few years ago Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! Grapes at New Year's I have probably mentioned this before but one of the big traditions here in Spain on New Year´s Eve is the eating of 12 grapes. The idea is that as the clock strikes midnight you have to eat a grape for each chime. It is a race to make sure you finish your 12 grapes before the New Year begins because it is thought to bring you good luck.  Jose and I incorporated this tradition into our wedding as we gave our guests 12 grapes to eat the next evening (since we were married on the 30th of December). This was our small favor with an explanation as well (so people didn´t think we were crazy)....

Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! Nativity Scenes Though Spanish folks do tend to put up Christmas trees, the main decorating focus during the holidays is usually on their Nativity scenes (called a belen) which can be quite intricate and beautiful with all kinds of figures, animals, buildings etc. Of course the scene centers on the birth of Jesus so they must include Mary, Joseph and the 3 Wisemen but really the sky's the limit on what you can add to your scene.  There is even a Belen Festival here in Seville right next to the Cathedral during December where people go to add to their collections. Below you can see a picture of just a few of the stands you can browse looking for that perfect add...

Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! Christmas Lottery Each year here throughout Spain there is a big nation-wide lottery draw on the 22nd of December. Throughout the weeks before Christmas people buy tickets which are called "decimos" because the number is actually repeated on 10 different tickets. If your number wins you actually share the winnings with the other people who have the same series as you. For me it is a bit confusing how the money gets divided but since we never win, it doesn't end up being that important. On the 22nd there is a big ceremony in which they pick the numbers. It is an entire production shown on the television which includes children (who train for a long...

Since I will be spending another holiday season here in Spain, I have decided to do a series of posts about holiday traditions that are important when celebrating. Some of them are similar to those back home, others are quite different. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about what we do here to celebrate the season! Sweet Festive Foods Like I think most places in the world, Spain has lots of sweet treats that only come around at Christmas time. In the U.S. we have holiday cookies and gingerbread houses. Here in the south of Spain we have equally delicious goodies to enjoy during the holidays. One big difference that I have noticed is that people don't bake as much as they do back home. It is much more common to buy your festive foods at the grocery store but that doesn't mean they aren't good! Without further ado, the food: Turron The way I would describe this is that it is similar to fudge. Turron usually comes in brick-like rectangles that you have to cut. It...